


Shattered Rose

by jws381, RealTerminal



Series: Vale Top Team [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcoholism, Angst, Art, Boxing, Comfort, F/F, F/M, Hallucinations, Hurt, Modern AU, Murder, Romance, Tattoos, tags are hard man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 05:35:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 67,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9867386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jws381/pseuds/jws381, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealTerminal/pseuds/RealTerminal
Summary: After a traumatic incident, Ruby must deal with a crushing loss and the lingering health effects, and her friends must deal with their feelings of guilt. Worse still, Ruby's reality no longer seems to be in line with the reality experienced by those around her.





	1. Chapter 1

                                                       

Ruby waited in front of the hotel. Jaune was late, as usual. He and Ruby were childhood best friends. They would probably have been a couple if Ruby had any interest in men. She considered giving up and going back inside, but then a bulky sedan pulled up. The window rolled down to reveal Jaune behind the wheel. "Sorry I'm late." Jaune apologized. "My flight was delayed."

"You could have called me." Ruby said. She opened the front passenger's door and slipped inside.

"Are Yang and Pyrrha coming or are we meeting them somewhere?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, you didn't hear?" Ruby said. "They're not going to make it." Originally the whole group was going to go out to lunch and maybe take in some of Atlas' famous landmarks. They were in Atlas to watch their friend Blake fight. She had been a professional MMA fighter for years, but tonight was her first match on the main card of a Vytal Fighting Championship event. Blake trained at the same gym as Yang, Ruby's half-sister. Pyrrha, Ruby's girlfriend, trained there too.

"Why not?" Jaune asked.

"A few days ago one of the fighters in the main event got hurt and had to withdraw." Ruby explained. "Yang was picked to replace her."

"Isn't it tough to take a fight on such short notice?" Jaune asked. Ruby nodded in confirmation. "So why do it?"

"If Yang wins she'll get a shot at the title." Ruby replied. "If she loses, no one's going to blame her. Anyway, Pyrrha's at the arena with Yang to help her prepare."

"So if she wins she'll fight Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.

"No, Pyrrha's the champion, but in another weight class." Ruby said.

"It's a shame they couldn't come." Jaune sighed. "I was looking forward to seeing Yang's new tattoos. You won't stop telling me about them."

"Well, I think they're some of my best work." Ruby said. "We'll all get to hang out after the fight. You'll get to see them then."

"Cool." Jaune said.

"So when are you getting a tattoo?" Ruby asked.

"I think I'll pass." Jaune answered. "Your stuff is great and all...I just don't...it's not for me."

"You're worried about the pain." Ruby laughed.

"I don't see you covered in tattoos!" Jaune protested.

"It's hard to tattoo myself." Ruby said. She rolled up her sleeve, revealing an elaborate rose on her shoulder. "Do you have any idea how tricky it was to do this."

"Good point." Jaune said. "You are the artist. So, where are we going?"

"I don't know." Ruby replied. "I'm kind of hungry. Want to get lunch?"

"Any idea where?" Jaune asked.

"Nope." Ruby said. "Wherever you want."

"I've heard good things about this one burger place." Jaune shrugged.

"I could go for a burger." Ruby agreed. "Let's give it a shot."

* * *

 

It was a short drive to the restaurant, but once there it became a battle to find any parking. After driving around for some time the pair settled on an underground parking garage. The rates were astronomical, but it was the only place available. A few levels underground, Jaune found a spot. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but he and Ruby slipped out of the rental car and headed for the stairwell. Their footsteps echoed through the concrete structure and the door to the stairwell slammed behind them with a thunderous crash. Ruby jogged up a flight of stairs, Jaune struggling to match her pace. Then another, laughing as Jaune fell further behind. For a personal trainer he was not in the best of shape.

Ruby suddenly stopped. Jaune almost ran into her, slipping off-balance to her side and bracing himself against the wall. "Ruby what's…" He started. He didn't need to finish.

A man wearing an overcoat and a cap with the brim pulled down over his face had a gun pointed at Ruby's chest. "Hand over your purse." He ordered. He turned the gun to Jaune. "Your wallet too. Now!"

"Alright, take it easy." Ruby said. "Here." She held her purse out and the man took it.

As the mugger slipped the purse strap over his arm the gun briefly dipped. Jaune saw his opportunity and lunged for the weapon. Jaune and the mugger struggled for the weapon. Ruby was pushed back and knocked off her feet as the two men battled. BANG! There was a muffled gunshot and everything stopped. For a few seconds Jaune and the mugger remained locked together, then Jaune slumped to the floor, a growing bloodstain on his shirt. Ruby's scream echoed through the stairwell. Jaune lay on the floor, clutching at the wound and groaning.

"In for a penny, in for a pound." The mugger sighed. He stood over Jaune, took aim, and shot him again.

Ruby pushed herself away, sliding across the floor on her backside. "Oh God!" She cried. "You killed him!"

The mugger stomped over to her, standing over her. He looked at his gun before leveling it at Ruby's face. "No witnesses." He hissed.

"Please, don't!" Ruby yelled, lifting up her arms and pulling away.

**_BANG!_ **

* * *

 

Yang was just going through final preparations for her fight. The undercard was already well underway. Yang was getting some last minute instructions from her coaches while Pyrrha waited beside the door. Yang was as ready as she was going to be. Pyrrha was pretty sure Yang was going to win. Yang had suffered some embarrassing losses early in her career, caught in submission holds as a result of over-aggression, but she had gotten over her youthful recklessness and was now a top-tier fighter. She had won her last three fights by knockout, all against top 10 contenders. Yang was a rising star in her weight class and Pyrrha knew she had the skills to make it to the top.

There was a knock at the door. Pyrrha opened it. A man in a suit was standing there. "Can I help you?" Pyrrha asked.

"I need to speak with Ms. Xiao-Long." The man said.

"I'm sorry, but she's very busy." Pyrrha said. "Can I take a message?"

"It's a personal matter." The man said. He flashed a badge, Atlas Police.

"Is she in trouble?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, it's a family matter." The officer replied.

Pyrrha had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Is it about Ruby?" She asked. The officer nodded. "I'm Ruby's girlfriend, you can tell me. I'll let Yang know after the fight." Pyrrha stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. She did not want Yang to hear. This sort of distraction was the last thing she needed before a fight.

"Ms. Rose has been taken to the hospital." The officer explained. "She's suffered severe head injuries and is in critical condition."

"What happened?" Pyrrha asked.

"She was shot in the head." The officer replied. "The bullet didn't penetrate her skull but it did cause serious damage."

"My God…" Pyrrha gasped. Despite her best efforts tears were starting to well in her eyes. "Wait. Her friend Jaune was supposed to be with her. Is he okay?"

"I'm afraid Mr. Arc was also shot." The officer said. "His injuries are considered life-threatening. So, are you going to inform Ms. Xiao-Long?"

"Is there anything we can do at this point?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not really." The officer replied. "Last I heard Ms. Rose was unconscious and heading into surgery. Whether the surgery is successful or not, I wouldn't expect her to be conscious for quite some time."

"I'll tell Yang after the fight." Pyrrha said. She wiped away her tears and composed herself. "If there's nothing we can do, there's no reason to worry her now."

* * *

 

Yang's opponent lay flat on her back, muscles stiff and in spasm. Yang did not even need to wait for the referee to step in to stop the fight before knowing she had won. Another first round knockout. Next stop, a title shot. She ran around the cage, her hands held high as the crowd cheered. After doing a lap she leapt up onto the edge of the cage, stood atop it, balanced for a moment, then did a backflip into the ring. She checked on her opponent who was just now regaining consciousness, before heading to the middle of the ring for the official decision.

"The referee has called a stop to this contest at 1 minute and 43 seconds in the very first round." The announcer boomed. "Declaring your winner, by a knockout, Yang 'Dragon' Xiao-Long!" The referee raised Yang's arm and the crowd cheered again.

Pyrrha pushed her way through the crowd and whispered something in Yang's ear. The smile on Yang's face disappeared, replaced by a look of horror. Yang raced out of the ring without a word. One of the commentators, in the ring to interview the winner, stopped Pyrrha to ask what was going on. Pyrrha told him before racing out after Yang.

* * *

 

Yang hated hospitals. She always had. And yet her family was spending more and more time in one. Summer was sick. Mommy was sick. At eight years old, Yang did not have much of a handle on the situation. She knew Summer had something called "cancer" but what that meant exactly was beyond her. It must have been even harder for Ruby, only six, to understand. There were a few things they understood. For months Summer had been in and out of the hospital, getting sicker all the time. She was more and more tired and her skin was pale. It was increasingly rare for her to even get out of bed.

Now Summer had been in the hospital for over a week. Yang knew it was bad. She knew it was probably the end. She could tell by the way her father always cried. Summer put on a brave face for the kids but it was easy to see just how unwell she was. Yang had some concept of death. That was why she cried too. Summer may not have been her biological mother, but she was the only mother Yang had ever known. She had been an ideal mother, treating Yang as her own. Now all she could do was give a little smile or whisper a few words to give her daughters comfort as her end neared.

Taiyang took Yang and Ruby to visit Summer every day. They all wanted to stay around the clock, but Summer insisted that they needed to get their rest, and that the best place to do that was at home. It was late. They said their farewells and headed for the door. "Yang...hold on." Summer called after her. Summer's voice was weak but insistent. Taiyang paused at the door as well, but Summer waved him away. He took Ruby and waited outside.

"What is it mom?" Yang asked, getting close so Summer would not have to exert herself to speak.

"I don't have long." Summer said. "You're smart, I'm sure you know that."

"Don't say that." Yang said. Already tears were streaming down her face.

"There's no point in pretending." Summer said. "I knew I wouldn't always be there for you and Ruby, but I never thought you'd have to go without me so soon."

"Mom, please." Yang cried.

"Don't cry." Summer said. With great effort she reached out and wiped Yang's cheek. "I'll always be there in your hearts."

"Mom…" Yang sobbed.

"Please, protect Ruby." Summer implored. "Keep her safe. If you have nothing else, you'll have each other. Promise me."

"I don't know…" Yang struggled.

"Please, promise me." Summer insisted.

"I...I promise." Yang said.

"Thank you." Summer said with a gentle smile. "Now go on, get some sleep."

"Okay." Yang said. "See you later. I love you."

"I love you too." Summer said. "Always."

Yang went home with Ruby and their father. All night she thought about what Summer had said. How could she protect Ruby? And from what? She would have to ask Summer in the morning. But when the morning came Summer was gone and Yang was left without answers. She was afraid to ask anyone, least of all her distraught father. At least she knew why Summer had asked her and not him. Taiyang could barely go on. He did not eat for days after Summer's passing, and then only just enough to keep himself alive. He became emotionally distant. He could barely take care of himself, let alone two young girls. He would eventually die when Yang was 18. He had lost the will to live when Summer passed and it had been a miracle that he made it so long.

Yang had pondered her commitment to Summer for some time. When she was eleven she decided that if she was going to properly protect Ruby, she would need to learn to fight. She took up boxing, Taekwondo, judo, anything she could find a class in. Eventually she would realize Summer had wanted her to protect Ruby in a less physical way - the world could be a cruel place, doubly so for children in their position, and Summer had intended for Yang to protect Ruby from that darkness - but even so she kept training. It was only natural that Yang became a professional fighter. She was an MMA pro in the Vytal Fighting Championship by age 19. After a few years with mixed results she started training at a new gym - Vale Top Team - and started winning more consistently.

Meanwhile Ruby had been an art student. She got into tattoos. When Yang hit it big she leant her sister some money to start her own business, and Ruby quit school to be an artist full time. She sketched and painted, but Ruby made her money and her name from tattoos. Yang was covered in them. She had decided to be her sister's canvas. Her right arm was wrapped in vines and thorns interspersed with roses, Ruby's own signature rose design adorning her shoulder. The vines climbed all the way to her neck where they met the design from her left arm, a golden dragon engulfed in flames. It's tail curled up to her neck, mingling with the vines, while its snarling, fire-spitting mouth was on her forearm. Her back was covered with a huge raven, originally intended to be rather simple. Yang had never met her birth mother but her uncle had been an important part of her and Ruby's life after Summer's death. Once Ruby got started she could not stop. Yang ended up with an ornate and intimidating raven that covered almost the whole of her back. She did not mind. If Ruby was happy, Yang was happy.

Yang's tattoos got noticed at Vale Top Team. Many of the other fighters had their own tattoos and they wanted to know where Yang had gotten hers. A few got tattoos from Ruby and suddenly she was the gym's unofficial artist. She spent almost as much time there, effectively making house calls for the fighters, as she did in her own studio. There Ruby met Pyrrha. Pyrrha was about as old as Yang but a much more accomplished fighter. She had not suffered from the same rookie difficulties Yang had, posting an undefeated record. Soon after Yang started training with Vale Top Team, Pyrrha became champion in her weight class. Soon after that she was #1 in the pound-for-pound rankings. More important to Ruby - and Yang for that matter - was that Ruby started dating Pyrrha. Pyrrha was not huge on tattoos, and only got a few from Ruby after they started going out, but her personality seemed to mesh perfectly with Ruby's. About a year into their relationship, they started living together.

Then came that fateful trip to Atlas.

* * *

 

Ruby could hear voices, though it sounded like she had her head underwater. She wanted to open her eyes but her eyelids were heavy. She tried to move but could not. She felt like she was floating. Though they were muffled she recognized one of the voices. She tried to call out but could not make a sound. Ruby began to panic. She just wanted to flail about, she wanted to move anything. She wanted to scream. She could hear beeping and the voices grew louder and more chaotic.

Finally Ruby was able to force her eyes open. Bright white light washed out her vision. As soon as she had opened them, she closed her eyes again. She opened them again, more slowly this time. Her eyes were able to adjust and soon she was staring at a white ceiling. The sounds and voices around her had calmed. She tried to move her head but it was impossible. Once again she tried to speak. "Yang…" She managed in a nearly inaudible whisper.

"Ruby?!" Came the reply. The voices were clear now. So was Ruby's vision. Unfortunately she could only stare at the ceiling.

"Yang…" Ruby whispered again.

"She's awake!" Yang shouted. "Get a doctor! She's awake!"

A few seconds later a doctor arrived and started shining a flashlight in Ruby's eyes. She tried to move away from the painful beam and managed to turn her head a bit. "Stop…" She managed. The doctor said something Ruby could not make out.

"Ruby, can you hear me?" Yang asked.

"Yes…" Ruby struggled. "Can't...move."

"The drugs are still wearing off." The doctor said. Well, Ruby presumed it was the doctor, she did not recognize the voice. "Please remain calm."

"Ruby, I'm so glad you're awake!" Yang exclaimed. "I was afraid you'd never wake up."

"What...happened?" Ruby asked.

"We'll talk about that later." Yang dodged the question. "Just take it easy. I need to call Pyrrha. She's been really worried too."

"Did...did you win?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah." Yang replied. "Blake won too. But that's not important. What's important is that you're awake."

"I feel tired." Ruby said.

"Alright, get some sleep then." Yang suggested. "Maybe when you wake up again you'll be able to move. I'll get you up when Pyrrha gets here."

* * *

 

" _Ruby…_ " Came a whispered voice, cutting through Ruby's slumber.

Ruby felt a slight tap on the arm. It was immediately overwhelmed by a splitting headache. She groaned and forced her eyes open, now easily turning her head to face whoever was bothering her. Still in a haze between sleep and waking, she looked. "Mom?!" Ruby gasped.

"No...it's-"

"Ruby, are you alright?" Yang asked. Ruby turned to her other side to see Yang who was visibly worried.

Ruby turned back to 'Summer' but she was gone, replaced by Pyrrha. "Oh, Pyrrha." Ruby sighed. "Sorry, I must not have been fully awake."

"It's fine." Pyrrha said with a gentle smile. "You've been through a lot. How are you feeling?"

"My head really hurts." Ruby replied. "And my body feels really heavy."

"The doctor mentioned stuff like that." Yang said. "It's normal...considering."

"What happened anyway?" Ruby asked. "I just remember being in the car with Jaune...then nothing."

"You were shot, in the head." Pyrrha said. "Luckily the bullet only glanced off your skull instead of penetrating. Your skull was fractured though, and you've been in an induced coma for over a week."

"I was...shot?" Ruby asked. She reached up, touching the most painful part of her head, the left side behind her temple. She found a long scar and a spot where her hair had been shaved away. "Why? By who?"

"The police don't know." Yang answered. "They said they think it was random. Your purse was gone so it was probably a robbery."

"Oh…" Ruby sighed. She did not really know how to follow that up.

"I'm so sorry." Yang said, starting to cry. "If it wasn't for my stupid fight I could have been there to protect you."

"You probably would have been shot too." Ruby said. "Some things you just can't control."

"The voice of reason is the one with the massive head trauma." Pyrrha said. "We can't blame ourselves for this." In truth she blamed herself just as much as Yang did. She was supposed to be there too. She could have done something.

"What's up with Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know how to tell you this…" Pyrrha started.

"He was shot too." Yang took over for her. "He didn't make it."

"Good joke." Ruby laughed. "If he's dead how could he be standing there." Ruby pointed and the other two looked. "He's been there the whole time. I just want to know why he hasn't said anything."

"Ruby...there's no one there." Pyrrha said. "Jaune died. I went to his funeral. I gave his eulogy. I'm sorry. I know it must be a shock but…"

" _But he's right there!_ " Ruby cut her off.

Yang walked over into the space where Ruby was pointing. "There's no one here." Yang said. "See."

Ruby's vision blurred. She blinked her eyes repeatedly and when she was able to refocus Jaune was gone. "But I swear he was…" She trailed off. "How can that…"

"Maybe I should get a doctor." Pyrrha suggested.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea." Yang agreed.

" _I saw him_." Ruby said. "I know I did. He was standing there the whole time we were talking. I swear I'm not making this up."


	2. On Fire

"It's not entirely surprising that you'd experience some confusion, memory loss or even full blown hallucinations." The doctor explained. He was a tall bespectacled man who spoke very quickly. "Your skull was fractured and a few pieces of bone were forced into your brain." He hung up two x-rays in front of a light. "The left was taken immediately following your injury. The right after surgery." The skull on the left was clearly deformed with bone chips scattered near the damaged area. On the right the larger bits of skull had been moved back into their natural position, but one rather sizable chunk remained embedded in the brain deeper than the others. "We did what we could to clear out any pieces of bone but this one was too deep. After consulting with a number of specialists it was decided that removing it would be too dangerous."

Ruby felt along the scar on the side of her head. "Will I get any better?" Ruby asked.

"Physically, yes." The doctor replied. "Your skull should reform and be just as solid as it was before. If not the metal plate we put in should provide the protection and support required." The doctor paused and thought for a moment. "From a neurological standpoint, it's a bit harder to predict. The pain should fade and it's certainly possible that after some time you'll be back to normal."

"You said should, and that it's possible." Ruby observed.

"Yes, I did." The doctor confirmed. "The brain is very complex and there are some things about it we still don't understand. We can make educated guesses, but we can't always say for sure how the brain will recover from trauma. I would expect you to improve, and I would certainly expect the pain to die down, but to what extent I simply cannot say. The best I can tell you is that you shouldn't get any worse, so long as you don't suffer any further head trauma."

"I guess that's good." Ruby sighed. "What about the scar?"

"It's not going to get any smaller on its own." The doctor replied. "A plastic surgeon might be able to make it less visible. Once you hair grows back it should cover most of it anyway."

"I guess it's not so bad." Ruby said. She had seen herself in a mirror. The scar looked awful but the hair on that side of her head had been shaved off so it was extra-visible.

"You still look as beautiful as ever." Pyrrha said.

"And now you look pretty badass too." Yang added. "This is easily as cool as Weiss' scar. The story behind yours is less embarrassing too."

"How did Weiss get her scar?" Ruby asked. "She either never told me...or I forgot."

"She slipped in the shower." Yang replied.

"That is kind of embarrassing." Ruby said.

"So, do you have any other questions?" The doctor asked.

"Uh...oh...how much longer do I have to be in the hospital?" Ruby asked. "I hate hospitals. I want to go home."

"We just have a few more tests to run." The doctor replied. "You should be able to go home in a few days."

"Well that's good." Ruby said. "The sooner I can get out of here the better. I just want everything to go back to normal."

* * *

Pyrrha pushed Ruby's wheelchair out of the hospital doors. Ruby could walk on her own, even if she was a bit unsteady, but there was no sense in taking chances when she was finally getting to go home. In all the confusion Ruby had not realized she was back in Vale. After she had been stabilized in Atlas, she had been flown to a hospital in Vale that specialized in treating head trauma. She was quite relieved because the idea of having to fly home with the sort of headache she was suffering was not an appealing one.

Yang was waiting just outside the hospital behind the wheel of her car. It was not the ideal method of transport for the trio, being a smaller sports car, but it did technically seat four and it was bigger than what Pyrrha drove. Yang got out, opened the passenger's side door and slid the passenger's seat forward, allowing Pyrrha to slip into the back seat. Yang then repositioned the front seat and helped Ruby from the wheelchair and into the car. Yang gave the wheelchair a shove toward the hospital and a waiting nurse grabbed it and wheeled it back inside as Yang headed for the driver's seat.

"I'm so happy to finally be going home." Ruby said. She tugged at the hospital wristband but did not have the strength to rip it off. "I hate hospitals."

"Me too." Yang said. She drove the car gently out of the parking lot and onto the city streets. Yang usually drove like a maniac but not today. "So how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good." Ruby replied. "My head still hurts a lot though, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"I'll get you some aspirin when we get home." Pyrrha offered.

"That's probably not a great idea." Ruby said. "I'm on a lot of stuff already."

"Did they say there was anything you couldn't take?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah...uh...I wrote it down." Ruby answered. She reached into her purse, pushed the various bottles of pills out of the way and found a slip of paper. She started to read it but it made her head hurt so she handed it to Pyrrha. "Here. The prescription instructions are on the back too."

"That's...quite a list." Pyrrha said. "It doesn't say anything about aspirin though."

"How many prescriptions did they put you on?" Yang asked.

"Six." Ruby replied. "One is only for emergencies, if the pain gets really bad, and two I'm only supposed to take until I run out. The rest are pretty much permanent."

"Between your meds and all the supplements Pyrrha takes, your apartment is going to look like a pharmacy." Yang laughed. She glanced over at Ruby who was sitting with her eyes closed. "What's wrong?"

"When we're moving everything looks really blurry." Ruby answered. "It makes me dizzy and a little nauseous."

"Should I slow down or…" Yang started.

"No, that's not the problem." Ruby cut her off. "I think my brain just has to get used to it."

"Should I go faster then?" Yang asked.

"Yang!" Pyrrha admonished.

"Go for it." Ruby said.

"Ruby!" Pyrrha admonished.

"Pyrrha!" Yang shouted with fake indignation.

"I half-expected Nora to appear out of nowhere to shout her own name." Ruby laughed.

* * *

After a rather leisurely drive the trio arrived at their destination. Yang pulled up in front of the apartment building and helped Ruby out of the car before releasing Pyrrha from the back seat. "You guys head on up." Yang said. "I'll find a place to park and meet you there."

Ruby wrapped her arms around Pyrrha's and used her for support as the pair walked into the apartment building and boarded an elevator. The usual sensations of movement associated with the elevator seemed strange and new to Ruby, exaggerated and disorienting. If she was not clinging so tightly to Pyrrha's arm she would likely have fallen over. The loud, high pitched _Ding!_ of the elevator hurt Ruby's head, but once she stepped off she felt much better. Pyrrha reached into her pocket for a key and unlocked the door, letting the pair into the apartment.

Ruby had only been sharing the apartment with Pyrrha for a few months but it was already home. It was fairly large, and owing to its location, terrifyingly expensive. Luckily Pyrrha picked up the tab. When Ruby had first moved in the place had been almost empty, with just the bare minimum of furniture and no decorations. Pyrrha had basically only used it as a place to sleep and spent more time at the gym than at home, so had not bothered to adorn the place. Ruby changed that immediately. Her paintings hung on the walls, she brought along a TV from her old place and bought some furniture. Just a week after moving in it had gone from feeling like a warehouse to feeling like home. Ruby even turned one of the previously unused rooms into an art studio.

Ruby sat down on the couch and found she was out of breath. It was as if she had taken the stairs rather than riding the elevator. Being unconscious for over a week, then remaining mostly in her hospital bed for a further week had certainly taken its toll on her physical fitness. She was supposed to do physical therapy to help regain her strength, and the doctors would have preferred she do it at the hospital, but one of the trainers at Vale Top Team was a physical therapist, employed to help injured fighters, and Ruby would work with her once she felt up to it.

Pyrrha headed into the kitchen. "Do you want anything?" Pyrrha asked.

"Something to drink would be great." Ruby replied. She took her phone out of her purse, scrolled through the contacts and made a call. It went straight to voicemail. She went to the home number and tried again. It rang a few times then went to the answering machine. She tried work, again no answer.

Pyrrha arrived with a pair of drinks and handed one to Ruby. "Who are you calling?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was just trying to get ahold of Jaune." Ruby replied. "I wanted to let him know I'm out of the hospital."

Pyrrha's face took on a look of worry and sadness. "Ruby, Yang and I already told you, Jaune's dead." Pyrrha said. "He was shot too but he didn't survive. Remember?"

"I...no I...oh yeah." Ruby sighed. "I forgot. How did I forget?" She asked with a hint of panic.

"Don't worry about it." Pyrrha said. "You're really stressed and when we told you it was right after you first woke up. You remember other stuff from after you woke up, right?" She desperately wanted to change the subject, preferably to something positive.

"Yeah, I remember the brain surgeon Dr. Oobleck and the nurse Yang was flirting with, and...seeing...nevermind." Ruby said.

"Seeing what?" Pyrrha asked.

"Seeing Jaune and my mom." Ruby replied. "I guess I was hallucinating or something."

Ruby and Pyrrha heard the door unlock and Yang walked in. She looked at the pair and noticed their concern. "What happened?" Yang asked.

"It's nothing." Ruby said. "I just forgot some stuff, then I remembered some other stuff. No big deal."

"Oh, well, okay." Yang said. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry." Pyrrha said. "Do you want anything to drink Yang?"

"Yeah but I can get it myself." Yang said. She headed into the kitchen but continued talking. "We haven't really discussed it, but shouldn't someone stay with Ruby? I mean, you've got to train for your next fight so you can't be here all day."

"That's right." Pyrrha sighed. "We didn't really plan anything out. I could take some time off."

"That's no good." Ruby said. "If you want to keep your title you'll need to keep training."

"I was thinking I could stay with Ruby for a few days." Yang offered. "I just fought, and my next fight hasn't been scheduled but probably isn't for months. Then when she's feeling up to it Ruby could come to the gym. I'm sure everyone is eager to see her."

"The card they sent me when I was in the hospital was pretty great." Ruby said. "I kind of want to get back to work though. It must be costing you a fortune to pay the rent on the tattoo parlor with no money coming in."

"Don't worry about it." Yang said. "I've got plenty of money but I've only got one sister. There's no need to rush back."

"Now that I think about it, I wonder if I can even do it anymore." Ruby sighed.

"What?" Pyrrha asked. "Your art? The sketches you drew in the hospital looked as great as ever."

"Sketches in a notebook aren't the same as actually tattooing someone." Ruby said. "But I guess it's a good sign."

"You should try painting something." Pyrrha suggested. "There are still a few blank canvases and we've got plenty of paint left."

"But what should I paint?" Ruby asked. She thought for a moment. "Oh, I have an idea. Yang, could you get me video of your last fight?"

"You still have a VFC Online subscription right?" Yang asked. "It should be up by now."

"Mine's up to date if yours isn't." Pyrrha offered. "We should all watch it together."

"Knowing what happened that day...it might be a bit rough." Yang sighed. "But that's a good idea I guess."

* * *

Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha watched the fight. It was a short one. Yang's opponent was unconscious before the halfway point of the first round. There was not much to go on but Ruby had her idea. She paused the video and studied it for a bit, committing it to memory. In a few hours she had sketched out the basic scene, Yang standing with her hands held high, her opponent unconscious on the ground at her feet, all as viewed from about ground level. Ruby watched the video over and over to get a feel for the emotion, not just of the moment but of the entire fight. She wished she could have been there.

Ruby stayed up late working on the painting, even after Yang went home to her own apartment and Pyrrha went to sleep. Once she got started she simply could not stop. Even her pounding headache could not hold her back. Finally it was nearly morning and her arms would not cooperate any longer. She was just too tired to continue. Rather than risk waking up Pyrrha by sleeping in their bed, she laid down on the couch. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the cushion.

When Ruby woke up the sun was out but from the angle she guessed it was still very early. Pyrrha and Yang were talking. "When her mother was dying I promised I'd protect her." Yang said. "That's why I got into fighting you know. Then the one time she really needs me I'm not there. I feel like such a failure. I feel like I broke my promise."

"You can't watch over her 24/7." Pyrrha said. "You didn't do anything wrong. We didn't do anything wrong." She was not sure who she was trying to convince, Yang or herself.

"I still feel guilty." Yang sighed.

"Me too." Pyrrha admitted. "Seeing her so hurt, then so scared…"

"I know." Yang said. "You should really get going. Coach won't be happy if you're late."

"Yeah, I don't need the argument." Pyrrha said. "I'll stop by for lunch if I can. If not I'll see you and Ruby tonight."

"Go kick some ass." Yang said.

Ruby pretended to be asleep as Pyrrha raced out the door with her gym bag. Ruby did not want Pyrrha or Yang to know she had overheard their conversation. She heard Yang approach, presumably to check on her, then walk away again. With Yang safely at a distance again, she rolled over and shifted herself to hide her face from the light. Ruby felt bad that Yang and Pyrrha felt guilty about what had happened to her, but that was their nature. Pyrrha blamed herself for everything. Yang had always been very protective of her sister. Ruby had never known about Yang's promise to Summer. She had long wondered what her mother had said to Yang that last night. It all made a lot of sense now. Soon Ruby managed to drift off to sleep again.

* * *

Ruby woke up. Her vision was blurry but she was aware of being surrounded by an orange glow. As her eyes focused and she looked around, she saw that the room and everything in it was on fire. She sat upright. Looking at herself she could see that she was on fire too, though she could not feel any pain besides a terrible headache. She tried to beat out the flames on her arms but swiping at them had no effect. She wanted to scream but could not make a sound. Then the fire before her rose up and took on a strange shape. It was almost human. The flaming figure walked towards her. She edged backwards, pressing herself harder into the burning couch cushions, turning away as the figure reached out to touch her. She felt a hand on her shoulder as the burning figure spoke with an indecipherable growl.

Then Ruby blinked and everything was back to normal. The glow was gone, the fire was gone, and the figure had been replaced by Yang. Still the growl continued Ruby struggled to catch her breath. "Ruby!" The growl began to shift to Yang's voice. "What's wrong? Ruby speak to me!"

"Yang I…" Ruby gasped.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked. "What happened?"

"I...I…" Ruby stammered. Her panic faded and she was able to regain her wits. "I just had a nightmare, that's all. Yeah...that's all." She took a deep breath. "Sorry to worry you."

"That didn't look like a nightmare." Yang said. "You looked wide awake."

"I was just still scared, and a little confused." Ruby said.

"Oh...well...alright." Yang said. Given Ruby's condition, Yang was not going to press very hard. "Just know that everything's okay. I'm here and you're safe."

"I know." Ruby said. "Thanks."

"So, do you want anything for breakfast?" Yang asked. "I got donuts on my way over but I could get whatever you want."

"A donut would be great." Ruby said. "Maybe some coffee."

"Alright." Yang said. "Just wait here. I'll grab you one. On my way I got some coffee too." She walked into the kitchen. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I just have a headache." Ruby replied. "But I'm kind of getting used to it."

"I'll get you some aspirin too." Yang said.

"Hey Yang." Ruby said. "How would you feel if my painting wasn't 100% realistic?"

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"Well, I just had this crazy idea." Ruby explained. "Wouldn't it look cool if you were like...engulfed in flames or something. Not like burning of course...just surrounded by fire, like it was a part of you."

"That sounds pretty badass." Yang said. "If you want to do it, go for it. If I needed something totally realistic I could just use a photo or screenshot. If you stylized the painting it would be something totally unique. And my nickname is 'Dragon' after all."

"I think I'll do that." Ruby said.

"What made you think of that?" Yang asked.

"My...nightmare." Ruby replied. "Everything was on fire, and there was this figure made of flames. It just got me thinking."

"Well, I bet it'll turn out great." Yang encouraged. She arrived with a donut and cup of coffee for Ruby and placed them on the table in front of the couch. "I can't wait to see it."


	3. Shadows

Ruby spent the rest of the day sitting on a stool before the canvas, painting. She only emerged from her studio to use the bathroom or quickly grab something to eat. For Yang it was just as well. Ruby had always tended to become absorbed in her art and that she was again seemed to bring some normalcy. Yang just spent the time watching television. It reminded her of when she babysat Ruby when they were kids. Ruby would usually do her own thing while Yang just hung around to make sure everything was alright. It was nice to think of those days, happier days.

Pyrrha did not make it home for lunch but she did bring food with her for dinner. As usual for Pyrrha and Yang it was healthy, high in carbs and protein. This time they had grilled chicken and pasta. Ruby's diet tended to be a bit more varied as she did not have to be in peak physical condition, but she was happy to have the meal. Anything was better than hospital food. The trio had a rather relaxing time as Pyrrha talked about her day. Her training was going well apparently. She was scheduled to defend her title at the next Pay-Per-View event. Pyrrha had great respect for her opponent but no one thought there was a realistic chance the title would change hands.

Ruby started talking about her painting. Naturally the topic of her 'nightmare' came up, and though Pyrrha was concerned, Ruby brushed it off. She seemed entirely absorbed in the art project and as excited about it as she had been about any of her previous works. After the trio finished eating Ruby wanted to get right back to work, but both Pyrrha and Yang suggested she get to sleep early. Ruby was just over a day removed from the hospital and rest would only help her recovery. She was reluctant but accepted their advice and after a little over an hour of chatting and watching television, she went to sleep.

* * *

When Ruby woke up Pyrrha had already gone to the gym. Somehow her getting up and getting ready had not woken Ruby, and the heavy curtains blocked the sunlight. She sat up on the edge of the bed and felt some dizziness but it quickly passed. She stood, still a bit unsteady, and walked slowly into the living room. Yang was already there, on the couch and watching TV. Today she had brought some weights with her and was casually working out as she sat there. "Morning." Yang said as she heard Ruby approach. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept alright." Ruby said. She yawned. "I guess Pyrrha's already at the gym."

"You know her." Yang said. "She said she wouldn't make it home for lunch and that she might be late for dinner too."

"I'm not surprised." Ruby said. "She's fighting in like two weeks."

"Yeah, she'll be busy for sure." Yang said. "Forget training, she's got a whole bunch of promotional stuff to do soon."

"I guess I won't be seeing her much." Ruby sighed.

"Cheer up, once her fight's over you'll be able to spend all the time together you want." Yang encouraged. "At least for a little while. I'm sure she won't stay away from the gym for long."

"I should probably start going to work on my PT." Ruby said. "Maybe on Monday."

"Just have Pyrrha ask Doc when's a good time." Yang suggested. "I'm sure she'll want to have a program prepared for you."

"I feel like painting is as good as any program she'll come up with." Ruby said.

"Oh yeah?" Yang laughed. "Then hand me that 50." She pointed to one of her weights. It sat just out of her reach.

"I don't think I can." Ruby admitted.

"Then you probably need to do some physical therapy." Yang said.

"Good point." Ruby said. "Did you bring breakfast today?"

"Nope." Yang replied. "But Ren sent over some of his famous pancakes."

"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed. "And Nora didn't eat them all before they got to me!"

"Well, he brought them over at like 5 am, so I don't think Nora was awake yet." Yang said. "They're in the container on the counter. Pyrrha and I didn't have any, they're all yours."

"You guys are too nice." Ruby said. "You could have had some."

"No, no." Yang said. "Ren made them special for you. That said, if you don't finish them…"

"Okay, you can have whatever I don't." Ruby said. She made her way to the kitchen and opened the container to reveal a stack of beautiful golden pancakes. From a technical standpoint, there was nothing special about them, just plain buttermilk pancakes, but when Ren made them they somehow came out amazing. Ruby liked to joke that if the whole MMA thing did not work out, Ren could be a professional chef. In the end Ruby ate about half the stack. They were delicious and she wanted to eat more, but her stomach was having none of it. Yang quickly finished off what remained and went back to watching TV and working out while Ruby returned to painting.

* * *

In the afternoon Ruby heard a knock at the apartment door. She could hear muffled voices as Yang answered it. Then a knock at her studio door. "Ruby, there are some detectives from Atlas here to talk to you." Yang said.

"I'll be right out." Ruby said. She got to a point where she felt comfortable stopping and packed up her supplies. When she emerged Yang was chatting with the detectives. Apparently she had already made them coffee. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Ruby said. "What do you want with me?"

"Ah, Ms. Rose." One of the detectives, a shorter man with a beard, said. He stood and shook Ruby's hand. "We just wanted to ask you a few questions."

The other detective, a tall and skinny man, shook Ruby's hand next. "We've been trying to identify your attacker and we were hoping you might be able to help us." He said.

"I don't think I'll be much help." Ruby admitted. "I don't remember anything about the attack."

"We've been in contact with the doctors who treated you, so we already know that." The shorter man said.

"Then why bother coming all the way here?" Ruby asked.

"We have something that might help you remember." The taller detective replied. "Surveillance video of the attack."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for her to see it?" Yang asked. "She's only just out of the hospital and it'll be pretty traumatic…"

"Ms. Rose, the choice is yours." The shorter man said. "We want to catch Mr. Arc's killer. Please, help us."

In truth Ruby did not want to see the video. She knew how painful it would be. Having forgotten again, the detective saying Jaune had been killed was a shock in itself. What the video displayed would surely be even more shocking. But a part of her wanted to see. The gap in her memory nagged at her. And she wanted to help, for Jaune if no one else. "Alright...I'll...I'll watch it." Ruby finally decided.

"Thank you Ms. Rose." The taller man said. "If it's too much we can stop at any time." He pulled a laptop from his bag. It was already on and the video was ready to play. Yang got off the couch to allow Ruby and the detectives to sit there. Ruby sat between them as the taller one placed the laptop on the table and hit play. Yang did not really want to see it either, but she walked behind the couch and forced herself to watch.

There he was, the attacker, with his long coat, hat pulled down blocking the view of his face, and...the gun. Ruby handed over her purse. Jaune lunged for the gun. They struggled briefly. Ruby was knocked over. There was no sound but Ruby shuddered at the very moment when Jaune went limp and fell to the floor. The mugger stood over Jaune and shot him again. Ruby pushed herself away until she backed up against the wall. Then the attacker turned the gun on Ruby and fired. She fell to the floor with blood streaming from the side of her head. The gunman quickly searched Jaune's pockets and took his wallet. Then he ran off screen.

"Do you remember anything?" The short detective said. "Anything at all?"

Ruby had tears in her eyes. "I...I...no." She choked, struggling not to cry.

"Are you sure?" The other detective asked. "Nothing about his face, anything he said?"

"I...I…" Ruby stammered. "No witnesses. That's what he said before he shot me. I don't remember anything else."

"Is there anyone who would have wanted to harm you or Mr. Arc?" The shorter man asked. "Any enemies?"

"No." Ruby replied. "He was the nicest guy, and I'm just an artist."

"Well, thank you for your help." The taller detective said. "I'm sure this must have been difficult. If you remember anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call." He handed Ruby a business card.

The detectives thanked Yang for the coffee and left. As soon as they were out the door Ruby started sobbing. She could hold it back no longer. Yang sat on the couch beside her, crying as well. Yang pulled Ruby over and hugged her. "I'm so sorry." Yang said. She could think of nothing else to say. They sat there and cried together for a long time.

* * *

After a while Ruby was able to sufficiently compose herself and went back to painting. Yang put on a brave face but the images she had seen were burned into her mind. The gunman executing Jaune. Ruby in terror as a gun was pointed at her. Ruby dropping to her side as an ever-growing pool of blood formed around her head. Before seeing the video Yang had thought that her imagination had to have come up with something far worse than what actually happened. Now that she had seen it she found the opposite to be true. It was too much.

Pyrrha came home late and the three talked for a while. Yang remained mostly silent. She handed off caring for Ruby to Pyrrha for the time being and headed home to try to care for herself. She tried watching TV, playing a videogame or two, even reading, but nothing could push the images away. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw it. She got almost no sleep that night, a combination of guilt and sadness keeping her awake. In the morning she headed back to Ruby and Pyrrha's place. She managed to fall asleep on the couch but woke in a cold sweat soon after. The pattern repeated over and over. Luckily Ruby was alright on her own, happily painting away in her studio.

Something had to give. Pyrrha got home early and Yang left, but she did not head home. She called her girlfriend Coco. "Busy tonight?" She asked.

"No, what's up?" Coco replied.

"Nothing really." Yang lied. "I just really need a drink. Want to meet me at Junior's?"

"Sure." Coco said. "See you there."

Yang and Coco had met by chance at a party. Coco was a fashion designer with little interest in MMA, but a party put on by one of Yang's sponsors attracted them both. They immediately hit it off. No one could keep up with them in terms of partying. It started as a purely sexual thing, each thought the other was hot and both were looking for a good time. They lived conveniently close to each other in an exclusive part of Vale, close enough that they could meet and do their thing just about whenever they pleased. It had slowly started to develop into something more. Maybe. They were not really sure. They started hanging out in a friendly rather than exclusively sexual context. They did legitimately enjoy spending time together. Then when Ruby was shot Coco was there to support Yang. Now Yang was hoping the support would continue.

"Seeing that must have been rough." Coco said, putting a hand on Yang's shoulder to comfort her.

"You have no idea." Yang groaned. She finished off her drink, her seventh, and motioned for the bartender to bring another. "I just...I feel like it's my fault. You know, like I should have been there to protect her."

"You shouldn't blame yourself." Coco said. She finished off her drink, also her seventh and motioned for another. The pace was fast but she was determined to match Yang. "You can't be there every moment of her life."

"It's just...whenever I close my eyes I see it." Yang continued. Junior brought over another round. "I can't think about anything else. I can't sleep."

"How about I give you something else to think about?" Coco asked with a wink.

"I like the way you think." Yang said with a smile. She downed her drink then slapped some cash down on the bar. "This'll cover it." She said. Junior nodded.

Yang had come to the bar on her motorcycle but was way too drunk to ride it away. Luckily Coco's place was in easy walking distance, or stumbling distance as was the case. They headed inside expecting a night of passion but it never materialized. After sloppily making out for a few minutes Yang passed out. Coco followed her into unconsciousness soon after. On the plus side, Yang slept great. She woke in the morning feeling refreshed. Coco woke a little hung over but none the worse for wear. Unfortunately there was no time to finish what they had started the night before as both had somewhere to be. Yang had to go keep an eye on Ruby and even though it was Saturday Coco had to go to work. They would just have to take a rain check and meet up another time.

* * *

Yang got to Pyrrha and Ruby's apartment just after Pyrrha had gone. Her fight was just a week away and she had some promotional commitments to deal with. Ruby told Yang that she would be starting physical therapy at the gym on Monday, then she headed to her studio to paint. She was almost done and Yang was eager to see the finished product. She was tempted to sneak a peek but Ruby did not like for anyone to see her unfinished art. Yang decided to be patient. If it made Ruby happy it made her happy too.

Yang was actually feeling pretty great. There was nothing quite like getting blackout drunk to clear her head. There was nothing on TV so she fired up her laptop and started watching her previous MMA fights. She skipped the early clumsy ones, be they wins or losses. She was too embarrassed at how sloppy she had been early in her career. The problem was her later fights were all very short. Only one of her current winning streak got past the first round. She quickly exhausted her own matches and so started watching Pyrrha's. Those she could learn from. Yang felt like she was the best fighter in the world, but if anyone might be better it was definitely Pyrrha. Her fights were very short too, mostly one-round demolitions of opponents who were entirely out of their depth.

Yang considered watching Blake or Ren's fights next but decided to do some research. She knew little about the fighter she would be up against for the title, whenever that match happened. She watched a few of her opponent's fights looking for weaknesses. There were few. Her opponent Arslan Atlan was a bit smaller than Yang but very quick. She could hit pretty hard too. Yang managed to identify a few weaknesses though. Yang could overpower Arslan if the opportunity presented itself, and Yang's ground game was better.

Yang had just started up the video of Arslan's latest match when she heard a blood-curdling scream from the studio. Something was wrong with Ruby! Yang sprung to her feet, dumping the laptop on the floor. She burst through the door and into the studio. In the center the easel had been had been knocked over and so had Ruby's stool. Paint was splattered on the floor and paintbrushes were scattered about. Luckily the painting seemed to have landed paint-up and not been damaged. Yang frantically looked around and spotted Ruby. She was curled up in the corner in the fetal position, crying her eyes out.

"Ruby, what's wrong?!" Yang asked, rushing to her sister's side. She knelt beside Ruby. "What happened?"

Ruby opened her eyes, terrified eyes. They darted around, scanning the room as she hyperventilated. Then Ruby focused on Yang and her breathing began to slow. "Oh...Yang…" Ruby managed.

"What's going on?" Yang asked. "Are you alright?"

"I just...I...yeah, I'm fine." Ruby stammered. "I just had a really bad headache."

"Bullshit!" Yang shouted. "You're way too scared for this to be just a headache. What happened?"

"I...I…" Ruby continued to struggle.

"You looked just like this the other day with your 'nightmare.'" Yang said. "What's really going on?"

"I saw things." Ruby admitted. "Monsters. At first it was just weird shadows on the floor, then they rose up and...the claws and teeth...I was so scared."

"Ruby, there's nothing here." Yang said. "We're the only ones in the apartment."

"I know, but I saw them." Ruby said. "I swear I did."

"You hallucinated, like in the hospital." Yang said. "You were awake and hallucinating your 'nightmare' the other day too, weren't you?"

"Maybe." Ruby said.

"Maybe nothing." Yang said. "This isn't good. I should take you to the hospital."

"No, I'm not going back to the hospital." Ruby declared.

"I know you hate hospitals." Yang said. "I do too. But you need to get well."

"The doctors said they can't do anything about it." Ruby said. "They said I'll get better or I won't."

"Ruby, let me help you." Yang pleaded. "Please let me take you to the hospital."

"No." Ruby said. She was not going to budge. "Just let me finish my painting. And please, don't tell Pyrrha. I don't want her to worry."

"Ruby I…" Yang started but cut herself off. She knew there was no use arguing. "Fine." She helped Ruby to her feet and walked toward the center of the room to help clean up.

"No, let me fix it." Ruby said. "Just...I want to be alone."

"If that's what you really want." Yang sighed. She walked to the door and took one look back. Ruby was just standing the easel up and putting her unfinished painting back on it. Then Yang left the room. She picked up her laptop - which had somehow survived being tossed to the floor - and went back to watching fights, but she could not focus. Yang so very much wanted to help her sister. She just wanted Ruby to be back to normal. But there was nothing she could do. Maybe there was nothing anyone could do.


	4. Truth and Lies

Yang felt sick when she got home. All her life she had been the powerful one. She was physically strong, skilled, and had the willpower to back it up. She was always in control. Now, seeing Ruby suffering, Yang realized it all meant nothing. She was helpless. She could do nothing for her sister. And Ruby - though she had been emotional and far from rational - was right, the doctors probably could not help either. One of the drugs she was on was supposed to suppress hallucinations and it did not do a damn thing. Yang might be able to protect her sister from the world's real monsters - something she had failed to do that day in Atlas - but there was nothing anyone could do to defend her against the terrors that resided inside her.

It was late and Yang wanted to sleep, but she knew she would not be able to. She was too worried about Ruby. Sleeping pills would have been nice but she had none. She opened the refrigerator and found a package of small, single-serving wine bottles she had received as a gift. Yang was not big on wine but alcohol had helped the night before. She downed one of the bottles, then another and headed for bed. She lie awake for hours but eventually she was able to fall asleep. That sleep was fitful and she was unable to get more than an hour or two in one shot, but before long it was morning and she felt rested enough.

Yang got to the apartment Pyrrha and Ruby shared a little earlier than she had to. She had woken up before her alarm and knew there was no point in trying to sneak in that little bit of extra sleep. Yang let herself in but neither Pyrrha nor Ruby were in the main room. "Anybody home?" Yang called with a laugh.

"Come on in Yang." Pyrrha replied from the bedroom.

Yang headed in to find Ruby still in bed, sitting up and wrapped in several blankets. "Hey Yang." Ruby said. There was a tray across her lap with a bowl of soup sitting on it.

"Ruby's not feeling well so I made her some soup." Pyrrha explained. "Could you take over? I'm a little behind getting ready."

"Sure." Yang said.

"Thanks." Pyrrha said. She headed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked.

"I feel sick." Ruby replied.

"No kidding." Yang laughed. "How?"

"My stomach hurts and I feel dizzy." Ruby answered.

"Did Pyrrha take your temperature?" Yang asked. "Do you have a fever?"

"It's normal." Ruby explained. "I don't think...I don't think I'm sick-sick." She whispered so Pyrrha would not be able to hear.

Yang pointed at her head and Ruby nodded. Yang sighed. "Between yesterday and this, you should really see a doctor." She said.

"No, I can't." Ruby said. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Ruby…" Yang started. She knew it was futile. "Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Yeah, but I don't think it's helping." Ruby admitted. "My head still hurts all the time. Dr. Oobleck said it might be like this. He said they were starting with the strongest medicine in the highest safe doses."

"I know." Yang groaned. "I just wish there was something I could do to help."

"Just being here for me helps." Ruby said.

"It's nice of you to say that, but that's not what I mean." Yang said. "I just want everything to go back to normal. I want you to be happy again."

"I am happy." Ruby said. She forced a smile. "Don't worry about me."

Yang saw right through it but there was nothing she could do but smile back. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything Pyrrha's phone beeped. Yang glanced at it. It was a text message. "Pyrrha, your phone!" Yang shouted so Pyrrha could hear her through the door.

Pyrrha came out of the bathroom with her hair still a mess, only about half-ready. Yang handed her the phone. Pyrrha swiped away. "Shit." She groaned. "They moved up my interview. Sorry Ruby, I've got to go."

"Have fun!" Ruby enthused. With a wave Pyrrha rushed out the door.

"I hope they have a hairdresser there or she's going to look like a mess." Yang observed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Ruby said.

"So, I didn't sleep too well last night." Yang said. "I was going to take a nap on the couch. Want me to get you anything first?"

"That's alright." Ruby replied. "I'll be fine." Yang was not sure that was true.

Yang could not sleep but at least the day was relatively uneventful. By lunchtime Ruby was feeling better. She got out of bed and went back to painting. By the time she got home Yang was exhausted after not having had a good night's sleep in quite some time. She was so exhausted in fact that she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. It was a nice change. Yang even managed to sleep all the way through the night. After all that had happened over the previous few days, it was just the sort of thing she needed.

* * *

Pyrrha was just heading to the gym when Yang arrived on Monday morning. Ruby was awake and perky, more so than she had been since her injury. Ruby had a reason to be happy though. She was heading out for the first time since coming back home. A little later in the morning she would start her physical therapy at the same gym where Pyrrha and Yang trained. Ruby was looking forward to seeing her friends again. It had been too long. A few of the fighters would probably want new tattoos or at least touch-ups on their existing artwork. The chance to get back to work was something Ruby eagerly awaited. It was just a little slice of normal, but after a chaotic few weeks she valued every tiny bit she could get.

Ruby was scheduled to start her therapy at 10 AM. It was about a 15 minute drive to the gym but at 9:50 she was still in her art studio. There was a knock at the door. "Come on Ruby, we're already late." Yang said through the door. "Doc will be pissed."

"Just a minute!" Ruby called back. She went back to what she was doing, carefully packaging the painting of Yang for transport. She had put the finishing touches on it earlier in the morning and it was finally dry enough to package up.

"Ruby, let's go!" Yang yelled.

"Coming!" Ruby shouted back. With the wrapped painting tucked under her arm she pushed through the door.

Yang was standing there waiting, holding a bag with a change of clothes for Ruby in one hand and the case containing her tattoo equipment in the other. "What are you doing with that?" Yang asked.

"I finished the painting." Ruby replied. "I thought you could hang it up at the gym. There's all sorts of pictures of fights and stuff there, but some artwork would be nice too."

"I think that's a great idea." Yang agreed. "I can't wait to see the finished product. Now let's hurry. It's already…" Yang looked at the clock. "...10. Well, I guess we're late."

"I'm sure Doc will understand." Ruby shrugged. "I am just a crazy artist with a head injury after all."

* * *

By the time Yang and Ruby got to the gym it was almost 10:30. They climbed out of Yang's sports car and made their way inside. The place was deserted. All the rings were empty, the training mat was vacant, and the exercise equipment sat idle. "I guess they're having a meeting." Yang shrugged. "You know coach and his damn meetings." Yang led Ruby toward the back where there was a large office. "Little help." Yang said, nodding toward the door. She had her hands full with Ruby's stuff.

Ruby opened the door and took a step in. The lights were out and the room was pitch black. Yang pushed in behind her, dropped the bag of clothes and flipped on the lights. "Surprise!" A chorus of fighters, trainers and assorted friends shouted. Everyone was there: Coach, Doc, Weiss, Blake, Ren and his wife Nora, Yang's girlfriend Coco even though she should probably have been at work, and Pyrrha. A large banner hung from the ceiling - "Welcome Back Ruby!" - and there was even a cake. The cake had a cartoon brain with a bandage wrapped around on it.

"Uh...I...wow." Ruby stammered.

"It's so nice to see you again." Weiss said. She managed most of the fighters and helped run the business side of the gym. She was also dating Blake.

"I hope you're feeling better." Ren said, barely audible.

"You're late." Doc said. But her scowl soon turned into a wide smile. "Welcome back."

"It's been too long!" Coach boomed. "This place hasn't been the same without you."

"Ruby!" Nora exclaimed. She charged toward Ruby. Ruby braced herself. Nora slammed into her and wrapped her in a crushing embrace, tighter than even Yang's hugs. That made sense though. Nora was a weightlifter Ren had met while competing in Judo at the Olympics. Despite having actual, terrifyingly high numbers attached to her immense strength, Nora always seemed to forget just how powerful she was.

"Nora...please…" Ruby struggled.

"Oh, sorry." Nora said, letting Ruby go.

"No problem." Ruby gasped, catching her breath.

"Hello Ruby." Pyrrha said cheerfully. "I hope we surprised you."

"You sure did." Ruby said. "Thank you all so much." She started tearing up. "I feel so loved right now."

"Alright, that's enough of the sappy crap." Coach said. "Let's have some cake."

"Leave some for me Mr. Port." Ruby said.

"Please, call me Coach." He said. "Everyone else does." Peter Port was a world-class wrestler in his youth, then was one of the VFC's first big stars. After his retirement from fighting he moved into training the next generation of fighters.

"What do you have there?" Coco asked, pointing to the package under Ruby's arm.

"Oh, I painted a scene of Yang from her last fight." Ruby replied. "I thought we could hang it up in the gym."

"Alright, let's see it!" Yang encouraged. Ruby had been working on the painting almost non-stop for days and Yang was eager to see the finished result.

"Stand it up here." Blake said, bringing over a chair to use to display the painting.

"I hope you guys like it." Ruby said. She started unwrapping the painting. She had probably over-packaged it and carefully removing the several layers of protection took some time. She saw something strange out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look but there was nothing, just everyone standing there, waiting to see her art. But something was wrong. It was as if Ruby were looking through a warped piece of glass. Then everything started swirling together. Her waiting friends began to melt as the ceiling bent and dipped down until it began to merge with the floor. Soon they were nothing but puddles, then the were consumed by a swirling blackness as the floor and ceiling met, pinching in toward her. Ruby screamed and backed up until she hit the wall. Still the blackness closed in. She fell to the floor, closed her eyes and started crying.

"..by...Ru...ub...at...on…" A jumble of sounds, barely recognizable as speech, cut through and filled Ruby's ears. "Ar...ou...ay…" Slowly the voice became clearer. Pyrrha? "Ruby, what's wrong?"

Ruby dared to open her eyes. Pyrrha and Yang were kneeling beside her. Yang looked worried but Pyrrha appeared to be positively terrified. "What…" Ruby gasped.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

The others were standing around with various levels of concern etched into their faces. "I'm...I…" Ruby stammered. "I...just had a bad headache." She forced a smile. "Sorry for worrying you all."

Yang frowned. She knew the truth. "Oh, another one." She sighed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." Ruby said. She sat up with her back against the wall and tried to catch her breath.

"Maybe I should call an ambulance." Pyrrha suggested.

"No, don't do that." Ruby said. "I'm already feeling better. It's no big deal, really."

"Well, this certainly puts a damper on things." Ren observed.

"No, no, don't worry!" Ruby pleaded. "Let's get back to the surprise party. I'm fine, really!" She got up and went back to unwrapping the painting. The others initially seemed unsure of what to do but just went along with it. Ruby finished unveiling the painting and stepped aside. "Ta-da!"

"Wow, that's...incredible." Coco gasped.

"Yeah, this is really good." Blake added. "It might be your best work."

"We can definitely find a place to hang that up." Coach said.

"Bad-ass!" Yang enthused. The original, core idea of the painting still remained. Yang recognized the scene from video of her fight. It was a low-angle shot of the moment after she had knocked out her opponent, just as she began to celebrate and a little before the referee stepped in to officially call the fight. But it was more than that. Yang was surrounded in flames, and it was amazing. The flames were incredibly detailed and the swirl of colors made them seem almost alive. Yang's flowing golden hair blurred seamlessly into the inferno and the flames were extra-bright around her hands and feet, her tools of destruction.

"You really like it?!" Ruby asked.

"It's like nothing you've ever painted before." Pyrrha said. "This is amazing."

After a few minutes of admiring Ruby's work, Weiss took a few steps back. "Alright guys, let's eat that cake before Nora and Coach finish it all." She suggested. About a third of the cake was already gone, consumed by the ravenous pair while the others looked at the painting.

"Don't eat too much Ruby." Doc said. "You've still got your PT appointment."

"Alright Doc, I'll take it easy." Ruby said.

"Please don't call me Doc." She groaned. "I'm not a doctor. Call me Glynda." Glynda Goodwitch may have been a trained physical therapist employed by the gym to treat injured fighters, but she was also a former fighter herself. Another of the VFC's early stars, she was a specialist in jiu-jitsu and occasionally helped the fighters with their ground games.

"Here you go." Pyrrha said as she handed Ruby a plate with a slice of cake on it.

"Thanks." Ruby said. There was a plastic fork stuck in the cake and Ruby used it to cut off a piece.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Pyrrha asked. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine." Ruby assured her as she took a bite of cake. "I promise."

"Well...alright." Pyrrha relented. She looked to Yang. The look on Yang's face made her concerned. "Don't be afraid to tell me anything, okay?"

"Of course." Ruby said.

Pyrrha wanted to say something. She wanted to press a little harder. But this was not the time or the place. Now was the time for celebration. As the party went on she did her best to seem cheerful though she was racked with worry. She tried asking Yang but Yang gave nothing up. Pyrrha eventually had to leave early to go do a promotional appearance for her upcoming fight. Truthfully, she was not that interested in fighting at the moment. She just wanted Ruby to be alright.

* * *

Ruby's first physical therapy session was demanding. It was nearly two hours of constant exertion. Glynda was uncompromising and kept pushing Ruby on. Ruby figured that if she complained about a headache or some other head injury symptom that Glynda would probably back off, and though she was tempted Ruby was not going to lie. Not about this at least. She just did her best. By the end she was fully exhausted and soaked in sweat. It was a good thing Yang had packed a change of clothes for her.

Ruby ended up staying at the gym all day, even after her session was over. First Blake needed a tattoo touched up. It was no big deal and Ruby was easily able to do it. After that it was just about hanging out with people she had not seen in far too long. Ruby could tell that her friends were dodging the issue of her injury. They were careful not to mention anything about it or even anything that might be related. Ruby did not like that. Sure, the injury was still a traumatic subject, but it was a part of Ruby now and something she would have to come to terms with. Avoiding the subject was not going to help.

* * *

It was dark by the time Ruby headed home with Yang. After confirming that Pyrrha was home Yang dropped Ruby off. Yang had a date. Coco had not been able to hang around all day. She had work to do. Coco may have owned the company, but that did not mean she could just take time off whenever she wanted. If she intended to build her fashion empire, Coco needed to put in the hard work. She worked hard, but more importantly as far as Yang was concerned, she played hard too.

There would be no drinking to get in the way this time. Yang arrived at Coco's place and headed inside. Coco was waiting in the bedroom, already nude. "Hello Yang, shall we get started?" Coco asked.

"Let's do this." Yang said. Her speech lacked enthusiasm. She undressed, but she was not herself. She did not quickly tear her clothes off or slowly strip, teasing Coco by dragging it out. She just took off her clothes like she was getting changed.

Coco had been lounging seductively but she shifted to the edge of the bed and sat up. "Yang, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Yang said. "Let's fuck already."

"No." Coco said. That was a first. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Come on." Yang complained.

"Talk to me Yang." Coco demanded.

Yang sat on the edge of the bed and Coco put a hand on her shoulder. "It's Ruby." Yang sighed. "She's...there's something wrong with her."

"The headaches?" Coco asked. "It looked like she was in a lot of pain."

"No, not quite." Yang said. "She does have headaches, it would be surprising if she didn't, but that's not it. What happened at the gym today...that wasn't a headache."

"Then what was it?" Coco asked.

"She's having hallucinations." Yang admitted. "She's been having them since she woke up. It seems like they're only getting worse. I don't know what to do. I can't do anything to fix it, hell, the doctors can't do anything. I just...I feel so helpless."

"And guilty." Coco said. "It must be really rough."

"You have no idea." Yang sighed.

"Does Pyrrha know?" Coco asked.

"No." Yang replied. "She hasn't been home much and Ruby didn't want me to tell her. She doesn't want Pyrrha to worry. She'd probably be pissed if she knew I told you. But I guess...I guess it's good to be able to confide in someone."

"I'm sorry." Coco said. She pulled Yang into a hug. "You know I'm here if you need me."

"I know." Yang said. She embraced Coco. After staying like that for a few moments Yang reached down and gave Coco's rear a squeeze. "So, are we going to do this?"

"I'm down if you're down." Coco said.

"You know I am." Yang said. If nothing else, maybe it would help her forget her problems, even for just a few moments.


	5. Spiral

"So I get there and Coco's already naked and waiting." Yang continued her story. She was running on Pyrrha's treadmill, getting back into the swing of training after taking some time off post-fight. "Then we…"

"Are you sure this is something you want to talk about with your sister?" Ruby cut her off.

"I'll stop if you want." Yang shrugged.

"Please." Ruby requested. "Your story's hot and all, but the fact that it stars you makes me a little uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't mind hearing about your escapades with Pyrrha." Yang said.

"It would be a waste of breath." Ruby laughed. "We can't hold a candle to you and Coco."

"That reminds me." Yang said. "This one time I showed up at her place, there were candles lighting a path to the bedroom and…"

"Yang please." Ruby groaned.

"Sorry, sorry." Yang said. "How was physical therapy?"

"Exhausting." Ruby complained. She had gone to the gym with Pyrrha in the morning then Yang had picked her up around lunchtime. "Doc is a slave driver."

"You have no idea." Yang said. "Do any tattoo work?"

"No, it seems like everybody is set." Ruby sighed. "I'd really like to though. I kind of want to reopen my shop but I know I'm not up to it yet."

"You'll get there." Yang encouraged. In truth she was not so sure. "I could probably use some new artwork. How would you feel about something in the ass region?"

"I'd rather not have to stare at your butt for that long." Ruby said with a smirk.

"Coco would." Yang said. "Hell, I would."

"I'm not sure if I should be more concerned by your hyper-sexualism or your narcissism." Ruby laughed. "If you think of something you want...not on your ass...just let me know."

"I'm sure I'll come up with something." Yang said. "Are you going to do another painting?"

"Nothing new." Ruby replied. "I might touch-up the portrait of Pyrrha I painted when we first started dating. I've gotten so much better since then, it's almost embarrassing. Maybe I should just start it over from scratch."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed by it." Yang said. "You may have gotten better since but it's still great. You should really take it out of the studio and hang it where people can see it."

"No...when I look at it all I can see are the mistakes." Ruby sighed.

"I guess that's how it is for artists." Yang shrugged. "So if you're not going back to painting, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Ruby said. She thought for a moment. "Maybe I should just rest. It's...been a long week."

"That's probably a good idea." Yang said. It had been a long week for her too. Still Ruby's condition wore on her. A night of passion with Coco was a temporary respite, but just a few hours later she was already filled with worry and guilt all over again. "You should do what's best for your health." Yang paused. "That reminds me, are you going to Pyrrha's fight?"

"It's in Mistral right?" Ruby asked. "I think she leaves tomorrow."

"Yeah, she's fighting at home." Yang confirmed. "It's a pretty big deal. Apparently the fans there are absolutely crazy about her."

"I probably shouldn't go." Ruby sighed. "With the way things are...getting on a plane...it probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"Don't be too sad about it." Yang said. "I'll stay here and watch with you."

"You don't have to do that for me." Ruby said. "And shouldn't you be there to help Pyrrha prepare?"

"Blake or Ren can handle it." Yang answered. "Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on you."

"I feel like a burden." Ruby complained.

"You could never be a burden." Yang assured her. "With all the support and help you've given me, not to mention the free tattoos, it's only fair that I should be here for you."

"I feel like you paid me back with the rent on the tattoo parlor and all the equipment you bought for me." Ruby said.

"Ruby, you can't put a price on love." Yang said. "Without you I never would have gotten to where I am now. You've always been there to give me the inspiration I need."

"Wow Yang I...thanks." Ruby said with a smile.

"Any time." Yang said. "I'll always be here when you need me." Yang desperately wanted to believe that was true.

* * *

Pyrrha was not going to make it home for dinner. A sponsor event related to her upcoming fight was running long. That left Ruby and Yang to take care of dinner themselves. Yang could not cook and neither could Ruby. Luckily when Yang opened the refrigerator there were a few microwave meals. That she could handle. The food was not great but it was edible enough.

"I didn't know Pyrrha even had these." Ruby said. "She's an amazing cook, and when she doesn't make stuff from scratch we go out or order stuff for delivery."

"Oh, delivery, I forgot that was an option." Yang laughed. "Oh well. This stuff isn't so bad."

"I remember now!" Ruby announced. "Jaune recommended them." Yang almost choked. "Apparently this is like all he eats. Pyrrha and I figured we'd give it a shot."

"Oh...that's…" Yang struggled.

"I'm surprised Jaune hasn't come to visit yet." Ruby sighed. "He's not even answering his phone. Maybe he's just busy but I kind of feel like he's avoiding me."

"Ruby...Jaune's dead." Yang sighed. "I keep telling you."

"No, that can't be right." Ruby said. She looked terribly confused and on the verge of tears. "I would remember something like that."

"But it is." Yang said. "When you were shot, he was shot too. Twice. Ruby, you've seen the video."

"But I…" Ruby closed her eyes, forcing tears out and down her cheeks. "No he...oh God, he is dead." Ruby started sobbing. "Why didn't I remember? How could I not remember?" Between her grief over her friend's death and her fear from the memory loss, Ruby was completely breaking down. She hunched over and covered her face with her hands. "What's wrong with me?"

Yang slid her chair beside Ruby and wrapped her sister in a tight embrace. "It'll be alright." Yang said, trying to soothe Ruby. "Everything'll be alright."

"I want to remember." Ruby cried. "I need to remember. Why is this...I…" Her speech devolved into incoherent babbling as she continued to sob.

"Come on Ruby, we'll get through this together." Yang said, rubbing her sister's back.

"I just want everything to go back to the way it was." Ruby wept.

"I know, I do too." Yang said. "You'll get there. You'll get better." Yang was not sure if she was trying to convince Ruby or herself. "Everything's going to be fine." Somewhere, deep down, Yang knew she was lying, but she was no more willing to accept the truth of Ruby's condition than Ruby was to accept the truth of Jaune's death.

* * *

Pyrrha came home very late and Yang decided she might as well stay the night. Between all that had happened and the fact the she was sleeping on the couch, she knew getting any rest would be a struggle. Pyrrha and Ruby did not have any sleep aids so Yang checked the fridge. Buried in the back was a bottle of wine. Ruby said she and Pyrrha were not really drinkers, so it had probably been a gift. Yang decided it was her best bet to fall asleep. She started with one glass but she still did not feel tired. That one glass turned into two, then eventually the whole bottle before an inebriated Yang laid down on the couch. She passed out as much as fell asleep.

"Yang, wake up." Ruby said as she shook her sister awake. Yang opened her eyes and yawned. Her head throbbed. Ruby looked annoyed. "I don't want to be late again."

Yang sat up, grabbed her phone and checked the time. "Oh, damn, sorry." She said. "I should have set an alarm."

"You did." Ruby said. "You just slept right through it. Pyrrha tried to wake you up before she left too but you just groaned, said something incoherent and went back to sleep."

"I'll be quick." Yang promised. Knowing Pyrrha might get home late she had brought a change of clothes the night before. She quickly showered and threw on the clean attire before rushing out the door with an impatient Ruby.

"Did you drink that whole bottle of wine last night?" Ruby asked as Yang drove her to the gym.

"Yeah, I didn't really feel tired and you said you didn't have any sleep medication." Yang confirmed. "I've been having some trouble sleeping."

"It's because you're worried about me...isn't it?" Ruby asked.

"What makes you say that?" Yang asked, trying to sound surprised.

"The other day I heard you talking to Pyrrha about how guilty you felt." Ruby admitted. "You said you promised mom you'd protect me. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I didn't want it to affect you." Yang replied. "You had enough to deal with and I didn't want to add to it."

"You've done so much for me, I think you've more than kept your promise." Ruby said. "You don't have to feel guilty. Sometimes bad things happen and we can't do anything about it."

Yang drove on silently for a bit then stopped her car in front of the gym. Ruby started to get out. "Hold on." Yang said. Ruby closed the door and turned back to her. "I know that logically I shouldn't feel guilty about what happened, but I do. I'd do anything to keep you safe, anything to make you happy. The knowledge of what happened to you because I wasn't there...it's hard. Seeing you afraid, seeing you crying, it hurts me so much. I just want you to be happy and healthy."

"I know, but...I...you shouldn't feel that way." Ruby struggled. "It's not your fault. And you need to take care of yourself too. Don't worry so much about me. If something happened to you it would hurt me just as much as what you're feeling now. I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to worry about me." Yang said with a smile. "I'll be alright. I'm always alright. It's just been a rough couple of weeks. With a little time, everything will be better." Ruby smiled back. Seeing that smile again, a genuine smile, filled her with so much joy. "Now come on, you don't want to be late...again."

* * *

After another brutal physical therapy session, Ruby showered and changed. Yang did some sparring while she was waiting for her sister, and Ruby caught the tail end of her last session. Yang was in the ring with Ren, dodging his strikes effortlessly. He went for a takedown, Yang blocked it and ended up on his back. That was it, sparring session over. In a real fight, Yang would have pounded her opponent into submission but for practice it was enough just to get into position. Ruby had watched Yang for her entire career. Much like Ruby's art, Yang's fighting prowess had grown by leaps and bounds. Now she looked unstoppable.

"That time already huh?" Yang asked as she walked from the cage. "Let me hit the shower quick and we'll be on our way."

"Hurry, I can't wait to get home." Ruby sighed. "I'm exhausted."

"There's one place I want to go first." Yang said. "It's important."

"Oh, okay." Ruby said. "Where?"

"You'll see." Yang said. She did not want to say where because she knew Ruby would not want to go.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, Yang and Ruby headed out. Yang drove much more slowly than she had in the morning. Her expression was a serious one. "We're going to the cemetery, aren't we?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Yang answered.

"You should have just told me." Ruby said. "I don't have a problem with it. I haven't visited mom and dad in a long time."

After Ruby's mother Summer had died of cancer, her father Taiyang went into a deep depression he never really recovered from. One day when Ruby was 16, Taiyang said goodbye to his daughters and headed out. He never came back. His body was found on Summer's grave the next day. Yang and Ruby never found out the details but knew it had been suicide. In a note he had on his person Taiyang apologized and said he had held out as long as he could, just long enough for his daughter to be old enough to take care of themselves. His pain had been too great and he could take no more.

Yang said nothing to Ruby's comments. They drove on to a flower shop next to the cemetery. Ruby bought some flowers to lay on her parents' grave. Yang bought flowers too. Then they got back in the car and headed for their destination. "Yang, you passed them." Ruby said. She looked out the window toward her parents' grave as Yang drove on. "Yang…"

"I know." Yang said. "They're not why we're here."

"Then why are we here?" Ruby asked.

"There's something you need to see." Yang said. It was cryptic and Ruby did not understand, but the look on Yang's face told Ruby not to press the issue. Finally Yang stopped the car. She got out carrying the flowers she had purchased. Ruby left hers in the car and followed her sister.

"Where are we going?" Ruby asked. "What's this about?"

"Last night you were in pain, you were scared." Yang said. "I don't want that to happen again. I don't want you to forget again."

"Forget what?" Ruby asked. Yang stopped walking and pointed to a gravestone. She laid her flowers in front of it and stepped back. "Wait a minute." The name 'Jaune Arc' was chiseled on the stone, just below the pair of semi-circles that were something of a family symbol. "But…"

"Ruby, look at it." Yang said as her sister turned away. "Look at it and remember."

"Why did you bring me here?" Ruby sobbed. "I don't want to be here."

"I don't want to see you the way you were last night ever again." Yang explained. "You were so afraid that you could forget. Now you won't be able to forget anymore."

"I just...no, this is too much." Ruby cried.

"I'm sorry, but I had to." Yang said. She hugged Ruby despite her attempts to squirm free. "I know it hurts but it's for your own good. The only way you can move past it is if you accept what happened."

"I know but...it hurts so much." Ruby wept. "Maybe I can't remember because I don't really want to."

"Denying the truth isn't healthy." Yang said. "Neither is bottling everything up. First you have to accept that it happened. Then you can start working through it. And I'll be here to help."

"I miss him so much." Ruby cried. "He was my best friend."

"I know, it's alright." Yang said. "You still have me and Pyrrha, and we'll be here to help."

"Thank you." Ruby said. "I...I just...thank you."

Yang took Ruby back to their parents' grave. Ruby laid her flowers on it and had her usual one-sided conversation with them. Yang stood there and waited. She felt like in failing to protect Ruby, she had failed her parents. They had been trusting her to take care of Ruby, Summer as she lay dying, Taiyang as he went to join her. But now Ruby was broken, both physically and emotionally, and Yang could do nothing about it. It was almost too much to bear. Doing her best to hide it from Ruby she cried while Ruby talked away. Then Ruby said goodbye, pressed her hand against the stone, and stood. It was time to head home.

Yang composed herself and drove Ruby back to Pyrrha's apartment after stopping at her own place to pick up a few things. Yang was moving in until Pyrrha got back from her fight in Mistral. She hoped all the pain and sadness were behind her, that Ruby would get better. She also recognized that it might just be the beginning.

* * *

Yang opened her eyes. She did not know where she was at first. Her vision was blurry and the sounds were muffled. She looked around and one part of her view was clear. Pyrrha was standing at a podium speaking. Oh, Jaune's funeral. How had she fallen asleep? After all that had happened and traveling between continents, it was hardly surprising that she would be tired, but she still must have looked like a jerk. The others present would understand, hopefully. Yang did not want to be _that_ person.

Pyrrha continued her eulogy and something about it started to bother Yang. The way she was talking about Jaune just was not quite right. It was too...intimate. They had been friends sure, but not even particularly close friends. Something was definitely off but Yang could not place it. The language got even more intimate. Words like "adored" and "loved" were mixed in. Yang's stomach was in knots. "Girlfriend." No, that was not right. That was not right at all. Yang looked to her right and there sat Jaune, crying along with a few others. Then who was…

Yang got up and rushed forward, approaching the closed casket and the inexplicably blurry portrait on a stand in front of it. It seemed so much farther away than it had been. When she got close the image resolved, a smiling portrait of her sister Ruby. "No but…" Yang gasped, tears in her eyes. "It can't be…" She felt a hand on her right shoulder. She turned to face the person touching her. "Mom?"

"You promised you would protect her." Summer sighed. "Why did you break your promise?"

"I...I…" Yang stammered. She felt a hand on her left shoulder and turned that way. "Dad?"

"I trusted you to take care of her Yang." Taiyang said. "I'm so disappointed in you."

* * *

Yang woke up in a cold sweat, lying on Pyrrha and Ruby's couch. She had had nightmares before but never one so vivid, so painful. She realized she was crying. Not just crying, she was shaking. She checked her phone. It was only about 4 AM. That dream… She got up and walked to the bedroom door. Summoning all her courage she slowly opened it, letting the little bit of light from the main room seep in. Ruby was lying in bed, sleeping peacefully. Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

Even knowing that it was all a dream and that Ruby was safe in bed, Yang could not calm down. Her tears continued to flow though she tried to compose herself. She needed something to calm herself down. She searched through the kitchen cabinets, looking for something, anything, to take the edge off. Buried in the back of one she found a bottle of whiskey. It was fancy brand-name stuff, still sealed, probably another gift. She found a shot glass, opened the bottle, and went to work. Shot after shot. Still she could not calm down. Her hands were shaking too much to pour without spilling so after a few messy shots she started drinking straight from the bottle. It did not help. She kept going until her world went dark.

* * *

Yang's had a headache like she had never experienced before. Even all the times she had been punched and kicked in the head, even the few times she had been knocked out, she had never felt a headache like this. When she opened her eyes the sunlight only made it worse. The sounds were not helping either. The television was on, too loud. Once Yang's eyes adjusted to the light and she looked around she realized she was in Pyrrha and Ruby's kitchen, sitting on a stool, hunched over the counter. A mostly empty bottle of booze sat nearby, along with an empty shot glass and some spilled liquid.

"Ruby?" Yang called.

"I'm over here!" Ruby replied. Louder than the TV, way too loud.

"Oh, okay." Yang groaned. "You're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just watching TV." Ruby answered. "You need to lay off the booze."

"Sorry I...I just had a bad night." Yang sighed. That nightmare...the memory cut straight through the hangover.

"Come on over and watch with me." Ruby offered.

"Oh, sure." Yang said. She got up, grabbed a bottle of sports drink out of the fridge then took a seat beside Ruby on the couch. "How are you feeling today?"

"Pretty good." Ruby replied. She almost sounded cheerful. "My headache isn't as bad as it was."

"I think it jumped into my head." Yang complained. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling a little better."

"I kind of regret not going to Mistral now." Ruby said. "I'm sure Pyrrha would have loved for me to be there."

"Don't worry about it." Yang said. "It's safer for you to stay here. I'm sure she understands." Yang wanted to tell Ruby about her nightmare but did not want to upset her sister. She needed to talk to someone but at the same time she did not want to. Being so affected by a dream, it was embarrassing. No, she would just have to deal with it on her own.


	6. Pleasure

Ruby and Yang watched television for quite a while. Normally they would have some conversation while doing so, but not this time. Yang was silent, privately dwelling on her fears and guilt. Ruby obviously had something on her mind and looked a bit nervous. "Yang, uh, can you do me a favor?" Ruby finally asked.

"Sure, anything." Yang replied. "What do you need?"

"Well the thing is...I...uh…" Ruby struggled. "This is kind of embarrassing but...uh…"

"Out with it already." Yang said.

"I...wanted to buy some sexy underwear...to wear for Pyrrha." Ruby admitted. "I was hoping you could help me out."

"Wow...uh...huh." Yang stammered. "I don't know how to feel about this."

"If you're not comfortable with it, that's fine…" Ruby started.

"No, no, that's not it." Yang cut her off. "I just don't know whether to be proud that you want to impress your girlfriend that way, or disappointed that you haven't done it already."

"Oh...good then." Ruby said.

"This'll be great." Yang said. She pulled out her phone and tapped away. "I'll invite Coco. She's great at this sort of thing."

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with her coming along." Ruby said.

"Nonsense, Coco's a fashion designer, picking out clothes for people is practically her job." Yang countered. "She'll find the perfect lingerie for you."

"I'm a little self-conscious...maybe we should keep this between you and me." Ruby suggested.

Yang's phone beeped and she looked at it. "Too late." Yang said. "We're on for tomorrow afternoon. Coco even invited us to her design workshop. Hm, maybe she's going to make something custom for you."

"I guess Coco is the best person for the job." Ruby relented. "I just hope it doesn't get expensive."

"It doesn't matter." Yang said. "I'll cover the costs." She laughed. "So, what made you decide to do this all of the sudden?"

"You're always talking about the...fun…you and Coco have together." Ruby explained. "I just thought me and Pyrrha could spice things up a bit. We're usually pretty vanilla." Ruby sighed. "And we haven't done anything since...well...you know."

"Really?" Yang gasped. "I thought you would have gone at it your first night back. At least the night before she left for Mistral."

"Well, the first few days after I got home from the hospital I wasn't feeling great." Ruby said. "My head hurt a lot and I felt really weak. Then when I was feeling up to it, Pyrrha didn't want to because she's concerned about my condition. She's afraid to do anything that might aggravate my injuries."

"That sucks." Yang said. "I'm going to have to have a long talk with that girl. Until then Coco and I will just have to pick out an outfit that Pyrrha won't be able to say no to."

"Nothing too risque please." Ruby said. "It's still a little embarrassing." Yang just laughed. That did not exactly fill Ruby with confidence.

* * *

The next afternoon Yang and Ruby arrived at Coco's design studio. It was at the top of the building that housed her clothing company's offices, and had a large window overlooking Vale. Various cuts of material in innumerable colors hung on racks in the back with half-finished clothing scattered about the rest of the room. It seemed Coco was working on a hundred things at once. She was seated behind a sewing machine, working on an elegant pink dress when Yang and Ruby walked in. She finished working on the seam then put the still unfinished dress aside.

"Hey girls." Coco said.

"Hi Coco." Ruby said with a polite wave.

"Hey." Yang said with a nod. "Planning to make something custom for Ruby?"

"No, there's just some business we need to take care of before we go shopping and I thought this would be the best place." Coco replied. "Ruby, please disrobe."

"Uh...why?" Ruby asked with mild panic.

"So I can properly measure you." Coco explained.

"Oh, that makes sense." Ruby said, breathing a sigh of relief. She stripped down to her underwear.

"That all needs to come off." Coco said as she waved her hand impatiently. "I need to get a good look at you to determine what would look good on you. You're not going to be wearing that underwear under it, so you shouldn't be wearing it now." Ruby was a bit nervous but did as requested. "There, that wasn't so bad." Coco got up and walked around Ruby, looking her up and down.

"Well, what do you think?" Yang asked.

"I can work with this." Coco nodded. "And I've always wanted to see your sister naked." She picked up a measuring tape. "Don't be so tense Ruby, I'm just joking." She winked at Yang. Not joking. Coco took the necessary measurements. "You're quite beautiful you know. You take after your big sister."

"Emphasis on big." Yang laughed.

Coco rolled her eyes. "Alright, you can put your clothes back on." She said. "You don't have to, mind you." Ruby quickly began dressing. "Oh well. I already have a few ideas. I think we might just have some things here."

"Remember Coco, my sister is a precious cinnamon roll, too pure for this world." Yang said.

"Uh...I'm not sure…" Coco started.

"Yes, a precious cinnamon roll who wants sexy underwear to impress her girlfriend." Yang continued. "She deserves the best of the best! The sexiest of the sexy!"

"Please, nothing too extreme." Ruby said. "This is...really embarrassing."

"With a body like that you have nothing to be embarrassed about." Coco said with a smirk. She walked into a large closet. "What colors do you like?" She called from inside.

"Uh...black and red I guess." Ruby replied.

"Oh, I like you." Coco said. She somehow managed to shout loud enough to be heard while simultaneously sounding seductive.

"Unfortunately she's spoken for." Yang said. "Both of you are."

"Lighten up babe, I'm just kidding." Coco said. After a minute or so she emerged with a set of clothes draped over her arm. She handed them to Ruby. "Try them on, let's see how it looks."

"There's a lot of lace...and not much else." Ruby observed. "I think this…"

"Just give it a shot." Yang encouraged. "Coco's an expert."

"Well alright." Ruby sighed. She took the clothes into the same closet Coco had just emerged from. Though her body had just been laid bare for all to see, she was still too embarrassed to change in front of Coco and Yang. It took some time to get all the pieces on, and a little more to work up the courage, but Ruby soon emerged in the lingerie provided by Coco. "What do you think?" Ruby asked. Her face was bright red.

"Hot damn!" Yang shouted. "It's a shame you're my sister. I think it's perfect. What do you think Coco?" No response. "Coco?"

Coco stood transfixed. "I really wish I had a camera." Coco said. She shook her head. "Okay, back to reality. The top just needs a few minor adjustments and it'll be ready to go. I'll take care of it and deliver them to...to...where should I deliver them?"

"Do you know Pyrrha's address?" Yang asked.

"No." Coco replied.

"Let me write it down for you…" Yang said, searching her pockets for something to write with.

"Guys, I'm not sure I like this." Ruby admitted. "It's really...revealing."

"Isn't that kind of the point?" Yang asked.

"I guess so, but are you sure I look alright?" Ruby asked.

"You look fantastic." Coco assured her. "You're even sexi…" She glanced at Yang. "Er...almost as sexy as your sister. Pyrrha will love it."

"Alright...well...I'm going to change back into my street clothes." Ruby said. Still blushing brightly she rushed back into the closet to change.

"So, what do I owe you?" Yang asked.

"It's on the house." Coco said.

"Are you sure?" Yang pressed.

"Yang, after what your sister's been through, she deserves some happiness." Coco replied. "If this helps her have even a few hours where she can forget about everything and just enjoy herself, it's well worth it for me."

"Coco I...thanks." Yang said.

"I want you to be happy too." Coco said.

"If she's happy, I'm happy." Yang said.

"What do you say we have a little fun when I bring the clothes by later?" Coco asked.

"You know I'm down." Yang said. "I'm not sure Ruby would be too thrilled."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out." Coco said.

"Alright, I'm ready to go." Ruby announced as she emerged from the closet. She put the various of pieces of lingerie on the table beside the sewing machine.

"I'll have them done in no time." Coco said. "I'll see you later." She winked at Yang.

* * *

On Saturday night Ruby and Yang sat on the couch, watching the VFC event. Ruby was feeling pretty good. Her headache was fading, she had not seen anything that was not there in a while, and she felt like her physical strength had returned. Yang was not feeling as good. She had been almost entirely unable to sleep the night before. When she did drift off the funeral dream came back and had her awake and sick all over again. She had finished off the whiskey she had not previously downed and was finally able to rest without those terrible images flashing inside her head.

Ruby was not terribly interested in MMA. That her girlfriend, sister, and most of her friends were fighters was the only real connection she had to it. She liked to watch their fights but cared little for other contests. She pretty much zoned out, occasionally tapping at her phone, as the early fights on the card played out. Yang paid close attention. As unstoppable as she felt Yang was always looking for ways to improve her game. Watching others was one of the best ways to learn and some of the other fighters might one day be her opponents.

* * *

Finally it was time for the main event, Pyrrha's match. Her opponent was an accomplished fighter, probably the best striker in the weight class. She came to the ring to the sound of heavy metal music and was introduced by the ring announcer as she took her place on one side of the cage. Next Pyrrha emerged into the arena to the sound of much more mellow music, accompanied by Blake, Ren and Coach. The crowd went wild. Pyrrha was the hometown hero. She may not have lived in Mistral for years but she was easily the best fighter to come out of the country, maybe its greatest athlete period. Where her opponent had been jumping around, boiling with barely contained energy as she was introduced, Pyrrha simply stood in her corner and waved to the crowd.

"Fighting out of the red corner…" The ring announcer began. "...a mixed martial artist with an undefeated professional record of 14 wins, no losses." His energy built as he continued, working himself into a frenzy. "She stands 6 foot 1 inches tall, weighing in at 135 pounds, fighting out of Vale City, Vale by way of Sanctum, Mistral. Presenting the reigning, defending, undisputed VFC Bantamweight Champion of the World, Pyrrha "The Amazon" Nikos!" The crowd roared like Ruby and Yang had never heard before. Pyrrha just smiled and waved, cool and calm.

The announcer stepped out of the cage, replaced by the referee. He brought the combatants to the center of the ring and gave his final instructions. Before they separated Pyrrha thrust her gloves forward to tap her opponent's, a mark of respect. Her opponent coldly ignored her, turned around and returned to her corner. Pyrrha shrugged and returned to her own. "Blue corner ready?" The referee asked. The challenger nodded. "Red corner ready?" Pyrrha nodded. The referee clapped and chopped his hand down between them before stepping out of the way.

Pyrrha stepped forward. She was always cautious at the start of a match and this was no different. Her opponent was not. Pyrrha was barely three steps from the cage when her opponent, in a wild charge, arrived to throw a lunging right hand. Pyrrha slid left, caught her opponent around the neck and shoulders, kicked her legs out and slammed her to the ground. Like a flash Pyrrha was on top, straddling her opponent's back, locking one of her legs between her opponent's. The challenger tried to throw an elbow at Pyrrha but she ignored the attack, taking the blow on the shoulder. She slid her left hand between the challenger's left arm and head, tucking it under the chin. Pyrrha pulled back and grabbed her own left arm with her right, her left forearm and bicep pressing against either side of her opponent's neck. Unable to breath and with blood cut off to her brain, the challenger tapped her hand against Pyrrha's arm before passing out.

The referee stepped in, forcing himself between Pyrrha and her opponent as Pyrrha released the hold. Pyrrha was the winner by submission, in less than 15 seconds. Pyrrha raised her arms skyward as the crowd cheered. After taking in the adulation for a few seconds she went to check on her now recovering opponent. Pyrrha honestly felt a little bad. They had both trained for weeks, months, and it was all over so fast. Pyrrha hugged the challenger and gave a few words of encouragement, then went to her corner to celebrate with Blake, Ren and Coach.

When it was time for the official decision to be announced, Pyrrha returned to the center of the ring. She and the challenger stood on either side of the referee as the ring announcer made the call. "Ladies and gentlemen, the referee has called a stop to this match after 13 seconds of the very first round." The announcer said. "Declaring the winner by tap-out due to a rear-naked-choke, and still VFC Bantamweight Champion of the World, Pyrrha Nikos!" The referee raised Pyrrha's arm and the championship belt was placed around her waist. Again the crowd roared.

One of the commentators stepped into the ring and started to interview Pyrrha. It was mostly standard stuff, what was she thinking, how did she feel, all that. "Anything else you'd like to say?" He finally asked.

"I've got to thank everyone at Vale Top Team, Coach, Doc, Blake, Yang and Ren for helping me train, Weiss for keeping the lights on. Thanks to all you fans!" A roar from the crowd. "It's been amazing to fight at home for the first time in so many years! And thanks to Ruby, get well soon! I miss you!" The crowd cheered once more as Pyrrha made her way around the ring, waving.

* * *

"She mentioned me!" Ruby gasped. "This is so cool!"

"Is that a big deal?" Yang asked.

"Not really, but kind of." Ruby said. "She wanted to keep our relationship as private as possible, so she never says anything about me in interviews and stuff like that. I said I don't care but she didn't want me to be bothered by the media."

"She really loves you." Yang said.

"You really think so?" Ruby asked.

"No doubt about it." Yang replied.

"Wow, just wow." Ruby said, shedding a few tears of joy. "This is the best."

* * *

Pyrrha had parties to attend after her fight, then media commitments the next day. By the time she got home it was Sunday evening. She was physically and mentally exhausted, more by the hoopla surrounding the fight than the fight itself. She was happy to finally be done with it all. Now she could just take a nice relaxing shower, then go to bed.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby exclaimed as the door opened. Pyrrha dropped her luggage as Ruby rushed into her arms. "I'm missed you so much!"

"I missed you too." Pyrrha said.

"I saw your fight." Ruby said, taking a step back. "It was so cool!"

"I feel a little bad." Pyrrha said. "We both worked really hard and it was over in seconds."

"That's not your fault champ." Yang said as she approached the door, carrying her own baggage. "Well, my work here is done. She's all yours." Yang turned to Ruby. "Have fun." She said with a wink. Yang walked out and disappeared down the hallway.

"What was that about?" Pyrrha asked.

"I think she's meeting up with Coco now." Ruby shrugged. "Knowing what they're about to do, I'd be more surprised if she wasn't in such a good mood."

"Yang's told me stories." Pyrrha said, shaking her head. She picked up her bags and stepped inside. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good." Ruby replied with a smile. "Better than I've been for sure."

"No bad headaches or anything?" Pyrrha asked.

"Not since I saw you last." Ruby answered. "I'm feeling stronger too. Doc has me on a crazy routine."

"She'd probably let up a bit if you stopped calling her Doc." Pyrrha suggested. Both laughed.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"I'm pretty exhausted." Pyrrha complained. "I was just planning to shower then go to sleep."

"Oh...okay." Ruby sighed. "I should probably go to bed early too."

"Good idea." Pyrrha said. "As much as you need your exercise, you need your rest too. Well, I'm going to shower. I've been looking forward to it for hours." Pyrrha left her luggage in the bedroom and headed into the adjacent bathroom.

* * *

Pyrrha dried off after her shower then wrapped the towel around herself. She took a look in the mirror, noting the dark circles under her eyes. Between the fight and subsequent celebrations, she had hardly slept in the last two days. She had no reason to get up in the morning and looked forward to sleeping well into the following day. Pyrrha was in for a shock. She stepped out of the bathroom and absentmindedly went rifling through one of the drawers to find some night clothes.

"Hey Pyrrha." Ruby said softly.

Pyrrha spun around to spot Ruby standing just behind her. She was wearing a black corset lined with red lace, an almost non-existent red thong, and black thigh-high stockings with garters. The thud of Pyrrha's jaw hitting the floor was just about audible. "Ru-Ruby…" Pyrrha stammered. "Wha…"

"What do you think?" Ruby asked. Her tone of voice was somewhat seductive but her nervousness was given away by her bright blushing.

"I think...damn…" Pyrrha continued to struggle. "I don't believe...wow."

"So, what do you say we have some fun?" Ruby pressed. She stepped up to Pyrrha, putting her arms up around her neck and hooking a leg behind hers.

"I...are...are you sure you're up to it?" Pyrrha asked. "I don't want your health…"

"Pyrrha, I want to feel good." Ruby said. She switched from awkward seduction to outright begging. "Please, help me feel good. Make my pain go away, just for a little while."

Pyrrha stood there frozen for a moment. She was deathly afraid of doing anything that could make Ruby's condition worse. Sure, she wanted to experience that bliss and wanted Ruby to experience it too, but was that short-term pleasure worth the risk? Pyrrha looked into Ruby's eyes, eyes full of love and trust, eyes begging her to make the suffering go away, even for a moment. She had her answer. "I'd do anything for you." Pyrrha declared. She took a deep breath, bent down, and kissed Ruby. It was as loving, passionate and quite frankly messy a kiss as they had ever shared. It was only the first of many loving and passionate moments they would share that night.


	7. Signs of Trouble

Pyrrha woke up feeling very refreshed. She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was already past 3 in the afternoon. After such a busy weekend, not to mention the exertions of the night, it was no surprise that she had slept so long. She sat up and swiveled to sit on the edge of the bed. She yawned and stretched. Ruby was not there but she rarely slept in. Even after a night so physically demanding she had probably been up just after dawn like usual. Pyrrha got up and walked over to the dresser. There had been no time to dress the night before but Pyrrha quickly found what she was looking for, comfortable panties, sweatpants and a tank top. She would never go out in public in such sloppy attire, but there was no need to go out today. It was her first real day off in a long time.

After dressing Pyrrha left the bedroom. With another yawn she stood just outside the door and looked around. The dirty dishes in the kitchen sink told her Ruby had taken care of her own breakfast and lunch, and the fact that the television was off implied that Ruby was in her art studio. It felt...normal. Pyrrha crossed the apartment and knocked on the door to the studio. "Everything alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Ruby replied. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Take your time." Pyrrha said. She walked over to the couch and sat down. Even after all that sleep she could rather easily have drifted off again.

"Hey sleepy-head." Ruby said as she approached.

Pyrrha turned her head to look at Ruby. The hair on the left side of Ruby's head was still quite short and her scar was very visible. So much for normal. "Sorry, I was very tired." Pyrrha apologized.

"That's alright." Ruby shrugged. She made her way over and sat beside Pyrrha, leaning against her.

Pyrrha adjusted her position to make it more comfortable for both of them, with Ruby reclining against her. "So what did you do today?" Pyrrha asked.

"I started my next painting." Ruby replied.

"Oh?" Pyrrha said. "What's this one?"

"It's a portrait...of you." Ruby answered.

"But you've already painted my portrait." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago." Ruby said. "I made so many mistakes and I'm a much better artist now. It's embarrassing to even look at the old one."

"Well, do you need me to pose for it or anything?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I'm doing it from memory." Ruby replied. "How could I forget your face?"

"I can't wait to see the finished product." Pyrrha said. "If it's anything like your painting of Yang it will be incredible."

"That one was really good huh?" Ruby said. "Everyone seemed to really like it."

"Well it was amazing." Pyrrha said. "The flames were breathtaking. How did you come up with an idea like that?"

"I...uh...had a nightmare." Ruby lied. "Everything was on fire and there was a figure made of flames."

"Oh...that's...interesting." Pyrrha struggled, not sure what to say. "Do you have anything special in mind for my portrait?"

"Not really." Ruby said. "I was just going to paint you normally. You're beautiful enough as you are." Ruby paused for a moment. "Oh yeah Yang called."

"What about?" Pyrrha asked.

"Her title fight is scheduled for a month from now." Ruby answered.

"Isn't that short notice?" Pyrrha asked. Fighters typically had months to prepare between fights. It would barely be two months between bouts for Yang.

"Yeah, it's kind of a fill-in fight." Ruby explained. "Apparently the Heavyweight Championship was supposed to be contested but the champion got hurt. The VFC still wanted a title fight to headline the card so they moved up Yang's fight."

"Consecutive fights on short notice." Pyrrha sighed. "That's going to be rough on her."

"Yang can handle it." Ruby said. "You should have seen her in the gym the other day. She was unstoppable. I've never seen her like this. She's better than ever."

"It sure seems that way." Pyrrha agreed. "The fight's going to be in Vytal right?"

"Yeah." Ruby sighed. "I guess I won't be able to go. I probably shouldn't fly with my...headaches."

"You should be there for Yang." Pyrrha said. "I'll charter a flight just for us if I have to. One way or another I'll make sure you get there."

"Wow, thanks Pyrrha." Ruby said. "It means a lot."

"I'd do anything for you." Pyrrha said with a smile.

* * *

Yang was not having a great day at the gym. Sure, she was obliterating her sparring partners the way she always did, it was just that she was feeling ill. She had spent the night before with Coco. It started with drinking...probably too much, then moved on to some very clumsy drunken sex, followed by more drinking. Then they both passed out, waking up in the morning with massive hangovers. Her funeral nightmare had become a recurring one, but with enough booze Yang could shut off her brain to let her sleep in peace. A little discomfort the following day was a small price for not having to relive that horror.

Yang clinched with Ren, twisted him over her hip and slammed him down to the mat on his back, landing in side-control. Before Ren could recover from the shock of hitting the ground, Yang had transferred to full-mount. If it were a real fight Yang would have battered her opponent into unconsciousness from the position, but for sparring this was enough. She stood and helped Ren to his feet. He rubbed his back, still a bit sore from the impact. "I think I need a break." He said.

"Sure." Coach said. "Ren, Yang, take five."

Yang grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat off her face. When she looked up Blake was standing in front of her. "What's up?" Yang asked.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked. She was legitimately confused by the question.

"I mean you're not as quick as usual." Blake said. "Sure, you threw Ren around pretty easily, but you're normally faster. Some of your moves were a little sloppy too."

"Oh, are you sure?" Yang asked. "It felt alright."

"No, that definitely wasn't your best." Blake insisted.

"I kind of had a crazy night last night." Yang said, forcing a laugh. "Me and Coco probably had a little too much to drink."

"Well, alright." Blake said. "As long as you're not hiding an injury or anything."

"Was I really that bad?" Yang asked.

"No, but I wanted to make sure." Blake replied.

"Yang, break's over!" Coach called.

"That's my cue." Yang said. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm alright, really."

"Okay." Blake shrugged. "Now get back in there before Coach has a fit."

* * *

The rest of the night was relaxing for Pyrrha and Ruby. After lounging around for a few hours Pyrrha grilled some chicken for dinner. It was the first time Ruby had been treated to her cooking since the incident. It was quite the treat, just as good as Ruby remembered. That it had been so long made it extra special. After dinner they watched TV for a few hours before going to bed early. Both were in need of some good rest. As Pyrrha drifted to sleep she could almost imagine things were back to the way they had been.

* * *

Yang got home from the gym late. With her fight on such short notice she was cramming in all the training she could. It was exhausting but exhilarating at the same time. Yang loved fighting, whether it be in a proper match or just friendly sparring. That she could keep fighting all day filled her with confidence. Championship fights were almost double the length of normal matches, and few of Yang's fights had gone beyond the first round besides. But if she could train all day without totally wearing herself out, she could handle a 25 minute fight. If it came to that. Chances were Yang would have her opponent finished off in seconds like she usually did.

On the way home Yang stopped at a liquor store. She was not used to buying booze by the bottle, really having only previously drunk in bars. She picked out a few bottles of booze - some vodka, a little wine, whiskey Qrow had once told her was good - made her purchase and headed home. Until recently she hardly drank. Now it was the surest way to keep the nightmares at bay. Just days earlier going to sleep had been something she feared but now that fear was gone. The booze helped with the guilt too. Drink enough and she would feel nothing at all.

* * *

Ruby and Pyrrha both got up early. They had somewhere to be. After a quick breakfast consisting of their favorite cereals, they headed to the gym for Ruby's physical therapy session. Doc had her down to twice a week after the pace of their first week proved unsustainable. Normally Pyrrha would have sparred with someone while waiting, the way she would if Ruby was there to do some tattooing, but instead she stuck around and watched Ruby work out. Ruby was not in the greatest of shape. She had not been even before her injury. She struggled as Doc put her through a demanding routine. Pyrrha was impressed though. Ruby was not a professional athlete, but here she was training like one. Pyrrha's worries from a few nights before proved unfounded, as Ruby was now performing activities more demanding than anything the pair had done.

Ruby and Pyrrha headed home after Ruby's session wrapped up. Ruby was feeling pretty good. Doc's regimen was strenuous in the extreme, but Ruby felt that if she could get through it she must be getting better. There were aches and pains, and the workout left her drenched in sweat, but it was all worth it if it meant she was healing. She hoped her brain was healing too. It seemed to be. Her headaches, once debilitating, had reduced in intensity to the point that they hardly bothered her. It would be nice if they would stop entirely, but she could live with the current level of discomfort. There were other aspects of her mental recovery, but she preferred not to think about them.

Ruby and Pyrrha got lunch on the way home. It was just take-out - acceptable in quality but not spectacular - but for Ruby it was extra good because she shared it with Pyrrha. Ruby was used to the routine. In the days leading up to her fights Pyrrha was always busy, always away. Ruby understood and had no problem with it, but after her injury she very much wanted Pyrrha to be there to comfort her. At the same time she was not about to get in the way of Pyrrha's career. Now that Pyrrha was home, things were a little different. One might expect that Ruby would cling to Pyrrha, but that was not the case. Just knowing she was there if needed was enough and Ruby was happy to do her own thing. Pyrrha was happy with the arrangement too, even if she was concerned about Ruby.

Once back at the apartment Ruby headed into her studio to paint. Pyrrha sat on the couch and watched some television, something she rarely had the time to do. She had never watched much TV until she started dating Ruby. She had not even owned a television. It was a nice diversion though. Ruby felt like her painting was progressing nicely. She was still just sketching out the basics but already she thought it looked better than her old portrait of Pyrrha. Soon she was entirely absorbed in her work. Her hands seemed to move on their own. It was a great feeling.

Ruby felt a presence. She looked up from the canvas to see Jaune standing by the window, leaning casually against the wall. "Oh, hey Jaune." She said. "I didn't hear you come in. Sorry, I guess I was really focused."

"No sweat." Jaune said. His voice was a bit hoarse, as if he were ill.

"So what's up?" Ruby asked. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Jaune said, scratching the back of his head. "I've been busy. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing alright." Ruby said. "I'm feeling a lot better lately."

"That's good." Jaune said. "How's your art going?"

"Really well." Ruby replied. "Everyone said my last painting was amazing and this one's coming along great." She laughed. "This whole brain thing might have made me a better artist."

Ruby heard the door open to her right and turned to look. Pyrrha was standing in the doorway, looking around the room. "Did you call me?" Pyrrha asked.

"No." Ruby replied.

"Oh, I swear I heard you talking." Pyrrha said, looking quite confused.

"I was just talking…" Ruby started. She looked over toward the window and there was no one there. It clicked in Ruby's head. Another hallucination.

"Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"Oh...sorry." Ruby said, forcing a laugh. "I was talking...to myself. I was really absorbed in my work."

"Okay." Pyrrha said. She looked relieved. "I'm here if you need anything."

"I know, thanks." Ruby said. When Pyrrha backed out and closed the door Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. She hated lying to Pyrrha, but she did not want her to worry. If Pyrrha knew Ruby was still having hallucinations, she would be very worried indeed. "Hey Pyrrha!" Ruby called.

Pyrrha opened the door again. "What is it?" She asked.

"Do you know what's up with Jaune?" Ruby asked. "I haven't heard from him in a while." A look of concern spread across Pyrrha's face. "What?"

"Ruby...Jaune...Jaune's dead." Pyrrha said. "Yang and I keep telling you."

"But that's impossible...he can't…" Ruby stammered. Images flashed in her head. Jaune being shot on the surveillance video, Jaune lying motionless on the concrete, his grave. "Oh God...he is dead. Why did I forget? How did I forget?" Tears filled her eyes.

Pyrrha rushed over and hugged Ruby. "It's alright, it's alright." She said, trying to soothe Ruby. "It was a traumatic event. I'm sure your mind just wants to forget."

"He was my best friend…" Ruby cried. "And I can't even remember he's dead. What's wrong with me? Why am I so broken?"

"You're not broken." Pyrrha said. "You just need some time to heal. That's it." Pyrrha was trying to convince herself as much as Ruby and she knew it. "You've been taking all your medication right?"

"Yeah." Ruby said.

"Every day?" Pyrrha pressed.

"Yeah." Ruby repeated.

"Maybe one of the drugs is messing with your memory." Pyrrha theorized. "Combine that with the trauma...yeah...it's totally understandable that you could forget."

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure it's fine." Pyrrha replied. "I'm sure you're fine."

"I...I guess you're right." Ruby said. "I hope you're right."

"Everything's going to be fine." Pyrrha said. She had still not released Ruby from her embrace. "I'll be here for you. We'll get through it together. We can get through anything together." Pyrrha was crushed. Seeing Ruby so hurt, so afraid, it was unbearable. She had convinced herself that everything was back to normal but that illusion had been shattered.

"I think...I think I want to paint now." Ruby said.

"Oh...okay." Pyrrha sighed. She released Ruby. "Just yell if you need anything. Anything at all."

"I will." Ruby said. "Thanks."

Pyrrha reluctantly left Ruby in her studio. She just wanted to hold her. She wanted to make everything alright. But she could not make it alright. Maybe no one could. She sat on the couch, picked up her phone and called the one person she knew would understand. "Yang...hey." Pyrrha said as Yang answered.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked. She could hear it in Pyrrha's voice, even though she was already a few drinks in.

"It's Ruby." Pyrrha sighed.

"What happened?" Yang gasped.

"Nothing major...she just...she forgot Jaune was dead again." Pyrrha replied. "She was so distraught when I told her. I just...I don't know what to do. Seeing her like that hurts so much."

"I know." Yang said. "She was like that the last time she forgot too. I took her to Jaune's grave. I was hoping that seeing it would force her to remember but I guess not."

"What should we do?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't know if there's anything we can do." Yang sighed.

"Maybe she should see a psychiatrist." Pyrrha suggested.

"If you could convince her." Yang said. "She doesn't like doctors of any kind. It reminds her too much of her mother's death."

"There's got to be something we can do." Pyrrha said.

"I don't know." Yang said. "Even if there is, I don't know what. This might just be something we have to deal with."

"But how can she go on like this?" Pyrrha asked. "How can I go on like this?"

"We just have to live our lives." Yang said. "The same goes for Ruby. Maybe if we act like things are normal, they will be. Maybe she'll just get better. I really don't know."

"I feel so helpless." Pyrrha said.

"Me too." Yang said. "Me too."

* * *

Yang felt sick after getting off the phone with Pyrrha. She had hoped that once Pyrrha came back, once Ruby had that stabilizing force in her life, that everything would get better. Well, it was not getting better. Yang wondered how long it would be before Ruby's next hallucination. It hurt Yang to keep them secret from Pyrrha, but that was what Ruby wanted. Yang feared Pyrrha would find out soon enough. Ruby could only play things off for so long. If Yang had seen through Ruby's deception Pyrrha would as well. Then there would be an extra layer of pain.

Yang was already about halfway through the bottle of wine when Pyrrha called. Once Yang hung up she stopped even bothering to pour it into her glass, drinking straight from the bottle instead. Now being awake was a nightmare of its own as guilt and worry swirled in her mind. When the bottle was empty Yang still did not feel sufficiently drunk but she called it a night anyway. She stumbled into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Maybe things would be better in the morning. She knew deep down that would not be the case.


	8. Cookies

Pyrrha spent the next day just waiting for something to happen. She was waiting for Ruby to have another headache, or forget something, or God knew what. But Ruby was fine. She painted in her studio all morning, rarely emerging until lunch time, while Pyrrha jogged on her treadmill. Then after they ate they watched some TV before Ruby went back to painting again. She kept painting until dinner, then they ate and watched more television for a few hours before going to sleep. How different a day it had been. The day after that was much the same. The pair fell into their usual routines, with the exception that Ruby was creating her artwork at home rather than a tattoo parlor. It seemed almost normal.

On Friday it was time for Ruby to go back to the gym for another physical therapy session. By now it was something she dreaded. Doc was running her ragged, as was her job. "Can't I just stay home today?" Ruby asked.

"No, you need to do your therapy." Pyrrha replied.

"But it sucks." Ruby complained. "It's like torture. And when I'm done I'm all disgusting and sweaty and everything hurts."

"It's an important part of your recovery." Pyrrha insisted. "You have to do it. You can barely lift a can of paint in your current condition. Besides, the longer you keep at it the more used to it your body will get. Soon it'll be easy and routine."

"And then Doc will make it harder." Ruby said. "Please just let me stay home."

Pyrrha felt like a mother goading her child to go to school. "Tell you what, if you go I'll reward you." She said. "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to bake cookies."

"That's a tempting offer but I think it needs a little more." Ruby pressed.

Pyrrha thought for a moment. "While we're cooking I'll wear nothing but an apron." Pyrrha offered. So much for being motherly.

"Sold!" Ruby exclaimed. "To the gym!"

* * *

Ruby struggled through her physical therapy session. Even with Pyrrha's promised reward and her constant encouragement, it was tough to keep going. Doc was brutal. Whenever Ruby mastered something she would crank up the difficulty. Ruby had to wonder if doing her physical therapy at a gym for professional athletes had been a mistake. Perhaps someone used to working with people in a more normal state of physical health would be a bit more lenient. Ruby considered giving up but that would have disappointed Pyrrha, and Ruby was not about to do that.

After working out Ruby headed for the locker room to shower and change. When she emerged in a fresh set of clothes she found Pyrrha talking to Weiss and Blake. "What's up?" Ruby asked.

"We were just talking about how we don't hang out enough." Blake replied.

"Yes, we haven't done anything together since you've been back." Weiss said. "I thought we could do something fun."

"What did you have in mind?" Ruby asked.

"That's what we were trying to figure out." Pyrrha replied. "We really haven't come up with anything."

"Why don't we go to the Vale Art Museum?" Ruby suggested. "I haven't been there in ages."

"That's a wonderful idea." Weiss said.

"I don't know, I'm not huge on art." Blake admitted. "Unless it's Ruby's that is."

"Come on, they have all kinds of stuff there." Ruby said. "They even have old armor and weapons on display."

"Armor and weapons?" Blake said. "That might be interesting."

"I'm on board if the rest of you are." Pyrrha said.

"It's just down to you Blake." Weiss said.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Blake shrugged.

"Is tomorrow good?" Weiss asked.

"Pyrrha and I already have plans." Ruby said. "Sexy plans."

"Ruby!" Pyrrha exclaimed, starting to blush.

"Sunday's no good but we could probably go Monday." Blake suggested.

"Monday would be perfect." Pyrrha said. "We'll see you then."

"Enjoy those sexy plans tomorrow." Blake laughed.

* * *

On the way home from the gym Ruby and Pyrrha stopped at the store to gather the necessary ingredients for the next day's culinary adventure. Expecting Ruby's cooking difficulties to cause problems, Pyrrha was sure to get more than needed of everything, just in case. The next day Pyrrha set about instructing Ruby on how to make her favorite cookies, and true to her word she did so in nothing but an apron, though she found it incredibly embarrassing. Ruby had on more than one occasion told Pyrrha that she was cute when she was embarrassed, so Pyrrha figured it was all adding to Ruby's fun.

"Alright Ruby, stop staring at my ass and let's get to work." Pyrrha said, her voice more nervous than commanding. "Preheat the oven to 375 degrees."

Ruby stepped up to the stove and looked at the dials. "Uh…" She said.

"It's the middle one." Pyrrha said. "375."

"Got it." Ruby said. She leaned in close, making sure it was turned exactly to 375. "Alright. What's next?"

"Alright, we need two big bowls." Pyrrha said. She reached up to a high shelf to grab them, setting them down on the counter in front of Ruby. "First crack two eggs in."

Ruby tapped an egg on the edge of one of the bowls until it cracked. She tried to split it open with her fingers the same way she had seen Pyrrha do it before, but completely crushed the shell, sprinkling fragments into the bowl. "Oh crap." Ruby groaned.

"Don't worry about it." Pyrrha said. "Just pick out the bits of shell and try to do better with the next one."

Ruby picked out the shell fragments and grabbed another egg. Again shen tapped it on the edge of the bowl then positioned her fingers in the resulting crack. This time she pulled as gently as possible. The shell cracked open in line with the initial crack, unzipping to let the contents drop out cleanly. "Hey, I didn't screw it up." Ruby said.

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. "Now add ¾ of a cup of sugar, and ¾ of a cup of brown sugar." She instructed. Ruby carefully measured the sugar then poured it into the bowl. She repeated the process with the brown sugar. "Good. Next up is a stick of butter. Just plop it in." Ruby grabbed the butter, took off the wrapper and dropped it into the bowl. "Now, a teaspoon of vanilla extract." Ruby grabbed the measuring spoons and started pouring in the vanilla. "No, that's a tablespoon. You want the small one."

"Oh, right." Ruby said. She dumped out what she had already poured into the sink then set about using the proper measurement. Her hands were a bit shaky and she managed to spill some of the liquid onto the floor, but managed to get the proper amount into the bowl.

"Now use the mixer to...well...mix it." Pyrrha said. She handed Ruby the electric mixer. Ruby flicked the switch to turn it on and plunged it into the bowl of ingredients. "Good. Time to work on the second bowl." Ruby put the mixer down on the edge of the first bowl. "First up is the flour. Grab the bag for me."

Ruby picked up the bag of flour, positioned on the far end of the counter. She started walking it back but her socked feet slipped on the vanilla extract she had spilled earlier. In a panic she flailed for anything to grab and the bag went flying. Ruby managed to catch herself on the counter but the bag hit Pyrrha in the face and exploded in a large white cloud. Somehow she caught what remained of the bag, now mostly empty. Pyrrha stood there, her mouth agape, her face and hair powdered white. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Ruby gasped. Pyrrha just stood there. "Uh...Pyrrha...are you okay?"

Pyrrha's stunned expression disappeared, replaced by a wicked grin. With a flick of her wrists she emptied the rest of the bag into Ruby's face. Now it was Ruby's turn to look shocked. Pyrrha saw their reflection in the nearby window. She started laughing hysterically. "I can't believe that just happened." She giggled.

Ruby looked and started laughing too. "It's a shame halloween isn't for a few months." She said. "We've got the ghost look down."

Pyrrha stopped her laughing after a bit. "Alright, good thing I got the extra bag." She said. "Grab that one, and try not to throw it."

"You got it." Ruby said. She picked up the second bag of flour and walked back to the bowls with extra care.

"Measure out 2 and ¼ cups." Pyrrha said. "Then pour it into the second bowl." Ruby did so, spilling flour all over the counter in the process. Pyrrha decided to ignore the growing mess. "Okay, a teaspoon of salt." Ruby grabbed the measuring spoons and scooped out some salt, quickly pouring it into the bowl. "No...that was the tablespoon again."

"Oh...whoops." Ruby groaned.

"That's okay." Pyrrha said. She edged Ruby aside and used a spoon to scoop out most of the excess salt. "A teaspoon, _teaspoon_ of baking soda next." Careful to use the right measure, Ruby poured the proper amount into the bowl. "Okay, now pour the second bowl into the first, then mix." Ruby poured the second bowl as instructed, switched on the mixer, and went to work. "That's enough." Pyrrha said after a few seconds. "You don't want to over mix." Ruby switched off the mixed and raised it to her face, sticking out her tongue to lick the blades. "Stop! Don't do that!"

"Why not?" Ruby asked. "It looks tasty."

"If it turns on you won't have a tongue to taste it with." Pyrrha warmed. She took hold of the mixer and removed one of the blades. "There, if you must."

Ruby smiled and licked the blade. "Doesn't taste as good as it looks." She reported.

"Time for the chocolate chips." Pyrrha said. Open up a bag and pour it in.

Ruby grabbed a bag of chocolate chips and tried to tear it open. It was well packaged. She tried harder, pulling with all her might. The bag failed spectacularly and chocolate chips went flying everywhere. "Oops." Ruby said.

"Wow, you really are bad at this." Pyrrha laughed. There was only one backup bag so Pyrrha clipped it open with scissors before handing it to Ruby to pour it in. "Now mix it all with this spoon." Ruby took the spoon and mixed the batter.

"Now what?" Ruby asked.

"Now scoop out chunks with the tablespoon - that's the big one - and squish them down on the trays." Pyrrha replied. A pair of trays were already prepared with paper sheets on them. "Space them out, about two inches. They'll grow in the oven and we don't want to end up with one giant cookie."

"Speak for yourself." Ruby laughed. But she did as instructed.

"Now use oven mitts to put the trays in the oven." Pyrrha said.

"But they're not hot." Ruby said.

"But the oven is." Pyrrha reminded her.

"Oh...right." Ruby said. She slipped on a pair of oven mitts. Pyrrha opened the oven for her and Ruby slipped the trays inside. "Now what?"

"Now we wait." Pyrrha said. "They should be done in less than 15 minutes."

"So...what should we do while we wait?" Ruby asked. She reached out and started to push Pyrrha's apron askew, attempting to sneak a peek, but Pyrrha brushed her away.

"We need to start cleaning up this mess." Pyrrha said. "You got more food on the counter and the floor than in the bowls."

"Fine." Ruby sighed. Getting frisky would have to wait.

After what seemed an eternity but was only just over 10 minutes, Pyrrha opened the oven and looked at the cookies. They had transformed from fat globs to flat discs and were golden in color. "They're ready to come out." Pyrrha said. "Put on the oven mitts and lay them over here." She pointed to a metal rack on the counter where the hot trays could rest without doing damage.

"On it!" Ruby exclaimed. She slipped on the oven mitts and carefully extracted the trays of cookies. "Let's eat!"

"No, they have to cool for a few minutes." Pyrrha said. "If you try to pick on up now you'll just burn yourself, and the cookie will fall apart."

"Both of those sound bad." Ruby said. "But I hate waiting."

"How about a kiss to pass the time?" Pyrrha suggested. The smile on Ruby's face was confirmation of her agreement to the proposition, so Pyrrha bent down while Ruby wrapped her arms around Pyrrha's neck. Their lips met and they shared a long kiss that tasted much like the flour they were both covered in. When Ruby pulled away she had a devious smile on her face. "Ruby what…" Before Pyrrha could finish asking the top half of her apron dropped down, exposing her breasts. "I can't believe you untied my neck strap while we were kissing. You are your sister's sister."

"So, can we eat yet?" Ruby asked, staring at Pyrrha's chest.

"You can have one cookie." Pyrrha said. "Then we need to finish cleaning up this mess." She sighed, looking at the apocalyptic carnage left behind by Ruby's clumsiness. "Well, at least I don't have much in the way of clothes to wash."

* * *

Coco could tell something was up with Yang. All they ever did anymore was get drunk and have sex. Sure, that was the basic nature of their relationship for pretty much its entire duration, but lately the two things that had been the focus became all there was. There were no entertaining conversations, no trips to fancy restaurants and no more of Yang's little practical jokes. The drinking was different as well. Before they would go out drinking frequently but only get drunk rarely and usually accidentally. Now Yang made damn sure they got drunk. Even the sex was different. Sure, Yang had always been rather...vigorous...but now Coco would classify it as angry, frustrated and almost violent. It was pleasurable to be sure, but out of the ordinary.

Coco decided she did not want to just fuck and get wasted. She met up with Yang on Sunday with something else in mind. Yang walked into Coco's apartment and immediately began undressing. "What are you doing?" Coco asked.

"What does it look like?" Yang countered. "Clothed sex is interesting but it's not really my thing. I like to be able to see everything."

"We can fuck later, let's go out." Coco said. She was dressed and ready for a trip. "Let's go shopping."

"Coco I...I just really feel pent up right now." Yang complained.

"Sweety, I've been dying to fill out your wardrobe for months." Coco said. "If you go shopping with me I'll give you free reign tonight."

"I'm pretty happy with my wardrobe." Yang said.

"You've been wearing that same jacket almost every day since we met." Coco said.

"Ruby gave it to me…" Yang started.

"And you'll wear through it if you don't start wearing other things too." Coco cut her off. "Come on, I saw the way you looked at that leather jacket the last time we went out."

"Fine." Yang sighed. "But when we get back we are doing some freaky shit."

"I think you'll find your definition of freaky is rather lackluster compared to mine." Coco said with a wink.

Coco took Yang to a nearby mall that had some rather fancy clothing stores. A few of them even featured Coco's designs. Still, it was not the trip she had envisioned. Sure, Yang got pretty excited when Coco bought her a terrifyingly expensive leather jacket, but other than that she was kind of just there. Coco suggested outfit after outfit but Yang had no enthusiasm. She was more a doll Coco was playing dress-up with than an active participant. For a while Coco assumed Yang was angry with her, but it eventually became clear that Yang was just sad. Yang was never sad. Even when Ruby was in the hospital she was able to manage a little happiness, however forced.

At lunch time the pair hit the food court, purchasing some very mediocre Chinese food. "This stuff isn't great but I've had worse." Coco said. "What do you think?" Yang just shrugged. She had purchased a tiny portion. Yang normally ate huge amounts of food. She had to eat a lot to fuel her workouts. In addition to her evident depression it seemed she had no appetite. "Are you sure that's enough for you?" Coco asked after Yang finished up her food.

"I'll be alright." Yang said. "So, are we heading home now or what?"

"Not yet." Coco replied. "There's still a store or two I'd like to visit." Yang sighed and sunk in her chair. "How about you pick the next one? Cheap, fancy, whatever."

"I have an idea." Yang said. She looked up and spotted what she was looking for. Now there was fire in her eyes. She grabbed Coco by the wrist and almost pulled her along.

Coco saw the store coming. _The Fall_ was an adult boutique. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind." Coco said as Yang dragged her along. Yang ignored her.

Once inside the store Yang let go and disappeared down one of aisles. "Just think of all the fun we could have with this stuff." She called. Coco just stood where she had been released, not surprised but a little disappointed. She saw Yang moving around and could hear her when she was out of sight. "Hey Coco!" Yang exclaimed.

"Yang…" Coco started as she turned to face her.

Yang waved a disturbingly large dildo in front of Coco's face. It giggled around, clearly amusing Yang. Coco just stared at her with a blank expression. Coco had not come to the mall to visit this place and Yang knew it. "Come on Coco." Yang implored.

"Buy it or don't." Coco said. "I'm leaving."

"You're no fun." Yang pouted.

"You're not being very fun at the moment." Coco said. "I came here to go clothes shopping with my girlfriend, not to play around with sex toys."

"Fine." Yang sighed. She tossed the dildo over her shoulder and it bounced along the floor. "Where to next?"

"Hey, put that back where you got it!" The store's proprietor shouted. Being regular customers, Yang and Coco knew Cinder, and Cinder knew that Yang knew better than to toss the merchandise on the floor.

"Fuck off slut queen!" Yang snapped with a look of rage on her face.

"Wow...Yang…" Coco gasped. "Calm down."

Yang seethed for a moment, her teeth gritted, her fists clenched. Then it all fell away and she frowned. "Sorry." She said meekly. She turned to Cinder. "I'm sorry Cin."

"What's wrong?" Coco asked.

"Don't worry about it." Yang said.

"I'm worried about _you_." Coco said.

"Drop it, please." Yang sighed. "If you do I'll be nice and go shopping just like you want."

Coco was unsure of what to do. She wanted to help Yang, she truly did, but it was neither the time nor the place. "Fine." Coco relented. Almost before she spoke Yang was already heading for the exit. Coco stood there for a moment, stunned at what she had witnessed. She had never seen Yang angry, and certainly never seen her blaze through such a range of negative emotion in such a short time. "Cinder, I'm really sorry. She's going through a rough patch…"

"Whatever." Cinder said. "If it happens again you won't be welcome back."

"I understand." Coco said. She chased after Yang who was waiting just outside. True to her word Yang looked at clothes with Coco and even feigned some interest, but her heart was clearly not in it. It hurt Coco to see Yang like that. It hurt her more that Yang would not talk to her about it.


	9. Isolation

Weiss and Blake arrived at Pyrrha and Ruby's apartment in Weiss' luxury sedan. Ruby and Pyrrha hopped in the back. It was much more comfortable to ride in than the sports cars Yang and Pyrrha typically drove, but even from just riding in it Ruby could tell the handling was a bit ponderous, and it did not seem to have the same level of acceleration. Ruby also imagined it would be difficult to find a place to park it, given its gargantuan size and the generally tight confines of the city's parking areas. Worst of all from Ruby's perspective was the exterior styling, which was entirely conventional and quite frankly boring. Having it painted white did it no favors.

Upon arrival at the museum the group split up. Ruby pointed Pyrrha and Blake in the direction of the ancient arms and armor while Weiss went with Ruby to view some abstract art. Ruby was fascinated, seemingly lost in the blur of shapes and colors. Weiss was less impressed. What she saw was chaos, and while a few pieces had some merit, most were beyond her comprehension. "I don't think this abstract stuff is for me." Weiss admitted.

"What's wrong with it?" Ruby asked.

"I just don't get it I guess." Weiss replied. "When I see a portrait of a person, I can understand the beauty of the person and the detail the painter had to go into to get it just right. This, well, some of these just seem like someone had a seizure in a room full of paint. What does it mean?"

"It means whatever you want it to mean." Ruby answered. "That's probably the point. You can interpret whatever you want. You can try to look at it from the artist's perspective, but your own is just as good."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Weiss asked.

"Let's try with this one." Ruby said. She pointed to a painting of a silhouetted woman's head, filled with streaks of vibrant color. "How does it make you feel? For me, it's like my mind is bursting with ideas. There's so much going on in my head that I can't control it. It's overwhelming, but not in a bad way, in a beautiful way. What about you?"

Weiss looked at the chaotic mix of colors and put her hand to her forehead. "I have a headache." She groaned.

"Me too, all the time." Ruby said, absentmindedly running her finger along the scar on the side of her head.

"Oh...sorry I…" Weiss started.

"Nah, I'm just being a downer." Ruby said with a smile. "I should be the one apologizing. I guess this sort of art isn't for you."

"I guess not." Weiss agreed. "Maybe we should move on."

"The food court is right over there." Ruby suggested, pointing down the hallway.

"You go from deep appreciation of mind-bending art to 'let's eat' with stunning alacrity." Weiss observed.

"I have six circle meals a day." Ruby said.

"What's a circle meal?" Weiss asked.

"A small, energy packed meal that can happen at any time." Ruby replied.

"That almost makes sense." Weiss shrugged.

"So, shall we eat?" Ruby asked.

"Hold on, I'm just admiring this piece." Weiss answered.

"That's a garbage can shaped like a penguin." Ruby said.

"But what does it say about society's injustices, man's inhumanity to man?" Weiss asked.

"Sometimes a garbage can shaped like a penguin is just a garbage can shaped like a penguin." Ruby advised.

"I can't argue with that." Weiss shrugged. "Let's get a little something to eat."

* * *

"These swords are beautiful." Pyrrha said. "They're all from Menagerie?"

"Yep." Blake replied. "They're even more beautiful when you realize how much work goes into making one. It takes weeks of effort by a master swordsmith to make something like this."

"They look incredible." Pyrrha said.

"And they'll cut a man in half with a single stroke." Blake added. "Go straight through most armor too."

"It's incredible." Pyrrha gasped.

"So were the people who wielded them." Blake continued. "They followed a strict code of honor. A simple mistake, a simple breach of etiquette, could be such a disgrace that the only way to correct it was suicide. Even defeat in battle often ended in the warrior taking his own life, and in a terrifyingly painful way at that."

"That's...grim." Pyrrha observed.

"On the plus side, when they weren't at war they got to live comfortable lives of wealth and privilege." Blake said. "Some of them fought a lot of duels too. And they weren't just into fighting. They wrote poetry, practiced flower arrangement, and painted stuff like this." Blake pointed to an elaborate painting hung above the display of swords. "Expertise in all fields was considered virtue worth striving for. After all, anything that could calm body and mind would help on the battlefield, however peaceful that activity might be."

"They sound a lot like us, well, except the suicide thing." Pyrrha said. "We're striving for excellence in fighting and in life too."

"That we are." Blake agreed. "There are many lessons of loyalty and dedication we could learn from them."

"What are those weapons?" Pyrrha asked, pointing to another nearby display.

"Oh, those are the weapons used against those who wielded these swords." Blake replied.

"They look...well...improvised is probably the nicest way to put it." Pyrrha said, getting her face close to the glass to get a good look.

"That's probably because they were." Blake explained. "Peasants weren't allowed to carry weapons unless they were in the army, so if they wanted to defend themselves without openly breaking the law, they needed to disguise their weapons as other things, usually farming tools."

"Is that a scythe?" Pyrrha gasped, looking at a gigantic blade laid out inside a display case. The wooden handle had rotted away, but it clearly would have been huge, perhaps two meters long to go with the meter and a half blade.

"It sure it." Blake said. "It looks terribly impractical."

"I know, Ruby would love it." Pyrrha laughed.

"I'll send her a picture." Blake offered.

* * *

Ruby and Weiss sat in the food court. After seeing what was on offer Weiss had lost her appetite and just got a bottle of water while Ruby at something that did not look fit for human consumption. Ruby's phone buzzed as she received a text. She put down her plastic fork and pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh, it's from Blake." Ruby said.

"What did she say?" Weiss asked.

"It's a picture." Ruby replied. "That's so cool!"

Ruby handed the phone to Weiss. "That looks terribly impractical." She said.

"Only if you don't have the upper-body strength." Ruby countered.

"Ruby, you're a noodle." Weiss observed.

* * *

Blake and Pyrrha moved on to a display of military gear from ancient Mistral. "Not a lot of weapons on display." Blake observed.

"Well, they mostly used spears." Pyrrha explained. "The points were metal but the shafts were wooden, so most of them rotted away." She paused. "There wasn't much armor in the Menagerie section now that I think about it."

"It was seen as cowardly to wear armor." Blake said. "And the soldiers didn't want anything that would restrict their movement."

"In Mistral they traditionally fought in heavy armor in tightly packed formations." Pyrrha explained. "The two armies would clash, and the one that held its formation better would usually win. It was all very formal and almost religious. Often the time and place of the fight would be decided beforehand. Sometimes the two sides would select small units to fight the battle instead of the entire armies. Whole wars could be decided by such duels."

"Why does that chestplate have abs?" Blake asked.

"Intimidation I guess." Pyrrha replied.

"It has nipples." Blake continued. Pyrrha shrugged. "What's up with this shield too? This scene is super-detailed."

"It's a scene from mythology, an extension of their religion." Pyrrha explained. "It's the legendary warrior Pyrrhus' duel against the son of the enemy king. The prince had killed Pyrrhus' best friend and he killed him as revenge, even though a prophecy said doing so would mean Pyrrhus' own death."

"Pyrrhus?" Blake asked.

"Yes, I'm named for him." Pyrrha said. "It's a long story."

* * *

After their quick meal Weiss and Ruby headed off to look at more traditional art. First up was a painting of a huge Atlesian manor. It was incredibly detailed, right down to the plants growing along the path that led to its front door. "It's so huge, what's the point of living in a house so big?" Ruby asked.

"To flaunt your power and wealth I guess." Weiss replied.

"But what would you do with so much space?" Ruby asked.

"You'd probably fill it with expensive art and furniture to impress important guests." Weiss shrugged.

"Rich people sound awful egocentric." Ruby observed.

"You're not wrong." Weiss confirmed.

"Aren't you insanely rich?" Ruby asked.

"I am, but I live in a small apartment overlooking the sea, not in some stupidly huge mansion." Weiss defended herself.

"And your furniture?" Ruby pressed.

"I have standards, and I have to impress Blake." Weiss said. "Moving on."

Next up was a portrait of a woman from about the same time period. The subject appeared middle aged and was dressed in splendid robes. "Wow, it's so detailed." Ruby gasped.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Weiss asked.

"The painting is." Ruby replied. "It's so complex and detailed...it's almost real. But the subject...maybe it's a bit too realistic."

"I think that's the point." Weiss said. "To show the subject as she was, flaws and all."

"I try to show a person's inner beauty in my portraits." Ruby said.

"You also tend to pain absurdly beautiful people." Weiss observed.

"It makes my job a lot easier." Ruby laughed.

* * *

Pyrrha stood before a painting of a woman in full ancient Mistrali armor. The subject looked quite a lot like her, right down to the shockingly red hair. She had often been told that she was the ancient ideal of female beauty and strength, and here was the evidence. She probably was not quite that beautiful, and her muscles were not quite that toned, but it was something to strive for. "Hey Pyrrha." Blake called.

"What is it?" Pyrrha asked.

"How have things been with Ruby?" Blake asked. After Yang's recent shift in behavior, Blake was worried it might somehow be connected to Ruby and her injury.

"Really good." Pyrrha said with a wide and apparently genuine smile. "She still has some headaches and she acts a little weird sometimes, but she's happy, so I'm happy."

"I thought she was always a little weird." Blake said.

"You're not wrong." Pyrrha laughed. "Quirky is probably a better word. She's been having a little memory trouble but nothing too serious."

"Memory trouble?" Blake pressed.

"Like I said, it's not serious." Pyrrha said. "It's mostly stuff related to...the incident. I can't blame her for wanting to forget, and it's not like it comes up often. It seems like she's as happy and mischievous as ever."

"Mischievous?" Blake asked.

"She's her sister's sister." Pyrrha explained. She and Blake both laughed at that.

Blake figured if Pyrrha said Ruby was alright and meant it, as it appeared she did, that Yang's issues probably had another cause. Yang could be a bit moody. Maybe her relationship with Coco was going through a rough patch or something. In any case, it was a weight off Blake's mind. She looked out the window at the reddening sky. "Wow, it's pretty late." She said.

"Oh, yeah." Pyrrha said, looking at her phone. "I guess I got pretty wrapped up in all this stuff. We should probably track down Weiss and Ruby and head home."

"How about we all go to dinner?" Blake suggested.

"We'll have to ask Ruby and Weiss, but that sounds like a great idea." Pyrrha agreed.

* * *

The quartet went to dinner as planned. It was a quiet affair at an upscale restaurant in downtown Vale. Weiss paid as she usually did, and Pyrrha protested this as she usually did. Once the meal was over Weiss drove Ruby and Pyrrha to their apartment before heading home with Blake. Ruby and Pyrrha could only guess what their friends would get up to, but if the rumors around the gym were true it would be kinky. Blake's sexual reputation was nearly on a par with Yang's, and though Weiss appeared stuffy and refined in public, it was said she was a freak in the bedroom. In truth they just watched some TV and went to bed, but Ruby and Pyrrha could imagine.

For Ruby and Pyrrha themselves there was no grand sexual adventure to end the night. It was late, they had spent practically the whole day walking around, and Ruby was still not at her pre-injury level of physical fitness. Ruby flopped down on the couch almost as soon as they walked in the door, and in minutes she was asleep. Pyrrha let her nap for an hour or so before waking her so she could get changed and move to the bed where she could sleep more comfortably. Pyrrha brought Ruby her medication and some water to take it with, and then Ruby went back to sleep. Pyrrha remained awake for a little while longer. There was some business to deal with - mostly bills to be paid - and then Pyrrha joined Ruby in slumber.

The following day was quite quiet. After Ruby's physical therapy session at the gym the pair returned home. Ruby was a bit tired but decided to paint. She retreated to her studio and went to work on her new portrait of Pyrrha while Pyrrha lifted some weights. As she worked on the painting Ruby thought about the portrait she had seen in the museum and the "flaws and all" realism of it. She considered going for a different approach, but as far as appearance went, Pyrrha did not have any flaws to show. Ruby could hardly think of any flaws Pyrrha had in any areas. Somehow Ruby had ended up with a girlfriend who seemed perfect in every way. The painting went well but soon it was nighttime. After dinner Ruby once again found herself exhausted and went to sleep early. This time Pyrrha joined her.

Ruby and Pyrrha were both up before dawn. After some coffee and a breakfast of scrambled eggs prepared by Pyrrha, they watched the sunrise through the windows. The view would have been a bit more spectacular if there were fewer buildings in the way, but it was beautiful all the same. Ruby went into her studio to do a little more painting while Pyrrha got ready to go out. While making breakfast she had noticed they were low on supplies and she would need to go grocery shopping. It had been quite a long time. With Ruby focused on her painting Pyrrha did not feel the need to take her along. She had been fine just painting in her studio alone while Pyrrha did whatever else around the apartment. Surely leaving for a quick trip to the grocery store would not be that big a deal.

Pyrrha knocked on the door to Ruby's studio. "What is it?" Ruby asked.

"I'm just running to the store." Pyrrha replied. "Do you want anything?"

"You're leaving…" Ruby trailed off.

"I won't be gone long." Pyrrha said. "And if you really need anything just call and I'll rush right back. So, do you want me to get you anything?"

"Uh...no, I guess I'm alright." Ruby said. "Oh, maybe stuff to bake more cookies. I want to try making it myself."

"Sure thing." Pyrrha said. "I'll be right back."

Ruby could hear the sound of Pyrrha's footfalls, then the apartment door slamming shut. Suddenly Ruby felt anxious. Sure, Pyrrha was not going far, and would not be gone for long, but Ruby felt her absence acutely. It was stupid but Ruby could not help it. She suddenly felt lonely, isolated, even vulnerable. She realized it was the first time she had been alone since her injury. After always having someone close at hand for so long, not having anyone there was almost scary. Ruby decided she could not paint in her current mindset. She left her studio and sat on the couch to watch television. She could not enjoy it, her mind focused squarely on how alone she felt. Ruby shut the TV off and curled up, hoping to get some sleep. When she woke up Pyrrha would be back and everything would be okay again.

* * *

Ruby awoke to the sound of the front door clicking open. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear her blurry vision as she sat up. Her eyes focused on who was coming through the door. Ruby screamed. The man who had shot her stood in the doorway, staring at her. He was back to finish what he had started. Still screaming with every breath, Ruby leapt to her feet. There was nowhere to run. There was only one door out of the apartment and a leap from the window would probably kill her anyway. In any case she had no doubt he could outrun her. She had to fight, but with what? Ruby grabbed the only thing close at hand, the lamp on the end table. The base was ceramic and heavy. It could do some damage. "Stay back!" Ruby screamed.

The intruder took a step forward. Ruby hurled the lamp with all her might. The attacker raised an arm and the lamp shattered on it, showering him with shards of ceramic. The attacker took another step. He seemed to open his mouth to speak but only produced a guttural groan. Ruby shifted to the other end of the couch. Another ceramic lamp sat on an end table there. She picked up that and threw it too. The intruder caught it and placed it on a table beside the door. There was nothing left to throw. Ruby stood there, looking around for anything that could be used as a weapon. She decided to run for the kitchen where she could get a knife, but her hesitation cost her.

The attacker closed the gap between them, kicking the coffee table out of the way as he went. Ruby tried to throw a punch but the attacker caught her arm, twisted and slammed her to the floor. Pinning Ruby to the ground with his legs across her chest, the intruder held onto her arm. Ruby flailed, struggling to get free. The pressure she felt on her elbow was immense, the attacker's positioning forcing it to bend the wrong way. She managed to twist but now the pressure was on her shoulder. Ruby tried to wrench herself free but the attacker's grasp was too strong. With an audible pop her shoulder dislocated. She screamed in agony and stopped struggling. The intruder released her arm but almost immediately had her in a bear hug. Ruby knew it was the end. She waited for him to finish the job.


	10. Hurt

Pyrrha slipped her key into the door and unlocked it. It was a bit of a struggle with a bag in each arm, but nothing she could not handle. As she pushed the door open she was surprised to see Ruby on the couch, apparently just waking up at the sound of the door opening. Ruby rubbed her eyes and produced a groggy groan. Then her eyes locked on Pyrrha. Those silver eyes went wide and she screamed. She looked and sounded terrified, and the sound was enough of a shock that Pyrrha dropped the grocery bags. "Stay back!" Ruby screamed as she took hold of a lamp.

"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked. She took a step forward. Ruby, still screaming, hurled the lamp. Pyrrha just managed to get her arm up to block the flying object, though it shattered, cutting her skin and showering her with shards of ceramic. "Ruby, it's me, Pyrrha!" She took another step forward. Ruby grabbed the other lamp and hurled it too but Pyrrha was ready. She caught it and placed it on a table near the door. Pyrrha was terrified. Ruby was losing her mind and nothing Pyrrha said stopped her. She was just attacking like a maniac. Pyrrha decided she had to subdue Ruby before she hurt Pyrrha or herself.

Ruby looked around for a moment and Pyrrha charged, kicking the coffee table out of the way as she went. The last thing she wanted to do was throw Ruby into it and seriously injure her. Ruby threw a wild punch as Pyrrha closed in. Pyrrha's MMA instincts took over. She caught the strike, pulled Ruby down to the ground and locked her in an armbar. Ruby kept struggling. Pyrrha had no idea what to do. Ruby was not trying to escape the hold like a trained fighter, she was just flailing. There was an audible pop and Ruby let out a high-pitched scream before her struggling stopped. Any continuation of the hold would only do more damage so Pyrrha released Ruby, rolling over and wrapping her in a bear hug. With the pressure of the hold spread over a larger area, it hopefully would not do Ruby any damage.

"Ruby, it's me, Pyrrha." Pyrrha pleaded in as soft and gentle a voice as she could. Ruby kept sobbing. "Ruby please, calm down, it's alright, I'm here." Still Ruby cried. "Ruby, everything will be okay, just calm down, please. I'm here for you Ruby, please." Ruby's breathing slowed and she stopped fighting. "Ruby, it's me, Pyrrha."

"P...Pyrrha?" Ruby gasped, out of breath and shaking. Pyrrha released her from the hold and Ruby did not try to fight. "Pyrrha?"

"Yes, it's me." Pyrrha said. "I'm sorry I hurt you. What happened? Are you alright?"

"I...I...had a hallucination I guess." Ruby admitted. "I saw...the man who shot me. I was so scared."

"There's no one here but me." Pyrrha said. She shifted into a more conventional hug, rubbing Ruby's back. "When I got here you just started screaming and throwing stuff."

"Oh no, I attacked you." Ruby groaned.

"It's alright, I'm fine, just a little cut." Pyrrha said. "I heard your shoulder pop and…I'm so sorry." Now Pyrrha was crying too. "I'm sorry I hurt you...I shouldn't…"

"No, this is my fault." Ruby wept. "My fucked up brain made me attack you. Why does this keep happening?"

"Keep happening?" Pyrrha asked.

"I've...been having hallucinations all along." Ruby admitted. "When I freaked out and said I had a headache my first day back at the gym, that was actually a hallucination. I had a few when Yang was here and one the other day when you were here but…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Pyrrha asked.

"I didn't want you to worry." Ruby replied. "You have enough on your mind without having to worry about me."

"Does Yang know?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, and I made her promise not to tell you." Ruby explained. "I saw how much it freaked her out and I didn't want the same thing to happen with you."

"But I'm always going to be worried about you." Pyrrha protested. "I care about you so much. I just want to help you."

"But you can't help me." Ruby sobbed. "No one can. My brain is broken and that's all there is to it."

"I still…" Pyrrha trailed off. "Your shoulder, I should take you to the hospital."

"No, it's not that bad." Ruby said. "I hate hospitals. I don't want to go to the hospital."

"But you need medical attention." Pyrrha insisted.

"So take me to the gym." Ruby suggested. "The training staff can fix my shoulder. It doesn't even hurt that much, really."

"What will we say happened?" Pyrrha asked. "I can't just say you went crazy and I dislocated your shoulder."

"We'll tell them I tripped, or fell off a stool, or we got too vigorous during sex." Ruby said. "I really don't care. I just don't want to go back to the hospital."

"Fine." Pyrrha sighed. "I'll take you to the gym to get patched up. We'll just say you slipped in the kitchen."

* * *

"How did this happen?" Glynda asked, examining Ruby's shoulder.

"I slipped in the kitchen." Ruby lied. "I guess I landed awkwardly."

"And how'd you get the cut?" Glynda asked, pointing to the bloody bandage around Pyrrha's arm.

"I was cooking and Ruby was bringing me a knife." Pyrrha lied. "When she slipped she just got me a little."

"You think that will need stitches?" Glynda asked.

"No, it's not deep." Pyrrha replied. "I'm just worried about her shoulder."

"Doesn't look like there's any serious damage." Glynda said. "Nothing torn in there. I can pop that back in."

"Shouldn't we wait for a trainer who is actually a physician?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, this is basic stuff." Glynda said. She put one hand on Ruby's shoulder and grabbed her bicep with the other. "This is going to hurt, a lot."

"I've been shot in the head." Ruby said. "I don't think it'll be…"

With a pop Glynda jerked Ruby's shoulder back into joint. Ruby squealed in pain and writhed for a few moments. "All fixed." Glynda reported.

"I wasn't ready." Ruby admitted, crying a little.

"Is there anything she needs to do to help it heal?" Pyrrha asked.

"Just ice it and don't do anything strenuous." Glynda suggested. "That means no therapy for a few days. We'll start back up once it stops hurting."

"Doc, is Yang in today?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes, and stop calling me Doc." Glynda sighed. "I think she was kickboxing with Peach."

"Why don't you tape her shoulder up and put some ice on it?" Pyrrha suggested. "I need to ask Yang about something."

"Go ahead." Glynda said, digging through the drawers, looking for the athletic tape.

Pyrrha headed back into the gym looking for Yang. She found her in one of the back rooms, kickboxing with Peach as predicted. Peach was a world-class ex-fighter herself, but Yang was clearly getting the better of the exchange. Still, something about Yang's movement seemed different. It was almost as if she was not quite as sharp as usual. But it was subtle and she was still kicking ass at a high level, so Pyrrha just figured she was having a bad day.

"Hey Yang, got a minute?" Pyrrha asked when there was a suitable break in the action.

"Sure, what's up?" Yang asked, walking over to the edge of the cage. "I think Peach over here needs a break anyway." Peach scowled but did not protest. "I hear Ruby had a nasty fall. She didn't hit her head did she?"

"That's not exactly what happened." Pyrrha admitted in hushed tones.

"What, did you get a little too freaky during sex or something?" Yang asked straight out.

"If that's the rumor that spreads I'm fine with it." Pyrrha sighed. "The truth is she had a hallucination - yes, I know about them - and she attacked me. I did my best to subdue her without hurting her, but...well...you know what happened."

"She attacked you?" Yang gasped, still at a whisper so that no one else would hear. "God, this is worse than I thought. I thought she was getting better but it's only getting worse."

"I don't know what to do." Pyrrha said. "I'm so afraid of hurting her again"

"I don't know what to tell you." Yang said. "I couldn't help her. If you can't help her I don't know if anyone can." Yang looked at the ground and shook her head. "I need a drink." She said under her breath.

"What was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nothing." Yang said. "Do your best I guess. You probably know Ruby better than I do right now. Just do what you think is right for her."

"I'll give it some thought." Pyrrha said. "Keep kicking ass."

"You too champ." Yang said with a fake smile.

* * *

The ride back to the apartment from the gym was mostly silent. Pyrrha had no idea what to say and it seemed neither did Ruby. "I'm really sorry." Ruby finally said as they walked in the door. "For everything. Attacking you, not telling you, everything."

"It's alright." Pyrrha said, forcing a smile. "I understand your side of it. You didn't realize what you were doing when you attacked, and you didn't tell me about the hallucinations because you were worried about how I would deal with that information. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I'll be fine." Ruby shrugged. She winced as she moved her injured shoulder. "I'm gonna' go paint." Ruby retreated into her studio, leaving Pyrrha alone in the main room.

Pyrrha had no idea what to do. She knew the current situation couldn't continue, but how it had to change was beyond her. Pyrrha was so afraid. Afraid that Ruby would have another episode and hurt herself or Pyrrha or someone else. Pyrrha was just as worried that in trying to stop Ruby from hurting someone, she would hurt Ruby, worse than she already had. Thinking about it did not help so Pyrrha busied herself cleaning up the leftover debris from Ruby's hallucination. There were shards of lamp all over the floor and the coffee table had split badly. The lamp Pyrrha had caught had the wire ripped out of it, so it would need to be replaced.

Luckily the neighbors had either been out of the building, or somehow not heard Ruby screaming, or just had not cared. Otherwise there would have surely been some awkward explaining to do. The fact that the police had not arrived at their door wondering who had been murdered was something of a miracle. Beside her screams, the terror in Ruby's eyes had been so apparent, so visceral. That had probably been the scariest part for Pyrrha. Seeing Ruby like that, whatever the context, was unbearable. Pyrrha now felt tremendously guilty. Ruby had been living in a nightmare for weeks while Pyrrha was oblivious. She wondered how Yang coped with it, having known all along.

After cleaning up Pyrrha sat on the couch and turned on the television. She did not watch it so much as stare blankly at the screen, not really taking in what was displayed. Her mind was focused entirely on Ruby and what had happened earlier. She hardly noticed when Ruby emerged from her studio. It was already pretty late. Ruby walked over and sat on the couch beside Pyrrha, leaning against her. Pyrrha began absentmindedly stroking Ruby's hair. Her finger brushed against the scar and her heart sank. Some muffled sounds broke her train of thought, words she did not quite hear.

"What was that?" Pyrrha asked.

"I was just asking about the damage I did." Ruby said. "I guess the lamps and the table were busted."

"Yeah, but it's no big deal." Pyrrha confirmed. "I can have them replaced."

"How about we redecorate instead?" Ruby suggested. "When I moved in furnishing the place was kind of rushed, and I was never really happy with the aesthetic. This is the perfect excuse to make some changes."

"That could be fun." Pyrrha said. She was thinking that it could be a great distraction to get her mind on a different track. "We can go look at some stuff tomorrow."

"This is great!" Ruby exclaimed. "I always thought the walls were really boring. We could get some cool wallpaper to fix that. And the tables are sort of old, so we could get some modern stuff instead."

"We'll need some lamps too." Pyrrha said.

"Hopefully ones that don't shatter when thrown." Ruby laughed. Pyrrha was not laughing. She just frowned. "Not that I'm expecting a repeat. I was just joking."

"Yeah, I know." Pyrrha sighed. "I'm just...not in a joking mood at the moment."

"Sorry." Ruby said.

"I was so scared, seeing you like that." Pyrrha admitted. "And not because you were screaming and throwing stuff at me either. I was scared because of how scared you were. I had no idea what was happening, but I could tell something was terribly wrong with you. I just…" Pyrrha broke down and started crying.

"I'm sorry." Ruby repeated. "I should have told you about the hallucinations. I just didn't want you to worry. When Yang found out it really freaked her out, and I didn't want the same thing to happen with you." The odd tear dripped down Ruby's face.

Pyrrha sniffled and wiped her eyes. "It's all over now, and I forgive you for everything." She said, shifting her position to hug Ruby.

"I'm glad." Ruby said, reciprocating. "I hope it never happens again."

* * *

The next day it was off to a local furniture store to begin the process of redecorating the apartment. Ruby grabbed a shopping cart and headed for the lamps. Pyrrha wandered off into the store, knowing Ruby would do a far better job of picking things out than she could. Ruby already had a pretty good idea of the sort of lamps she wanted. For a long time she had had her eye on some designs that incorporated stained glass into the lampshade and the base. They were not the most practical in terms of lighting the place, but the apartment had plenty of natural light most of the time and the pair liked to keep it fairly dark in the evening.

For Ruby there was only one major concern. The lamps she adored were made almost entirely of glass. If she had another hallucination and threw one, it would not just leave a huge mess but probably seriously hurt whoever was on the receiving end. Ruby had another option in mind though, a pair of lamps with ornate metal bases, topped with lacy shades. They were a bit heavy, and could be used for one hell of a bludgeoning, but Ruby figured it was safer than something that would leave razor-sharp pieces all over the place. Overall the stained glass better fit the aesthetic she wanted, but she had to decided what was more important, appearance or the potential for another episode.

Ruby told herself everything was going to be alright. She had been telling herself that for a while now. She decided to put that into practice and settled on the stained glass lamps. She carefully loaded them into the cart and wheeled them to the front of the store. There she got a clerk to assist her and went looking at tables. This was just the first stage of the redecoration, but it would require a new coffee table and new end tables. The ones already in the apartment were rather old and had come from a yard sale. Ruby never really liked them but at the time it was that or nothing. Now, with the clerk doing the heavy lifting, she picked out a set of modern, minimalist wooden tables stained black.

With the heavy and fragile stuff put aside Ruby went to look at wallpaper. The current wallpaper had been there since she had moved in. It was plain white with a black border on the top and bottom. In other words, it was painfully boring. It was not long before Ruby found exactly what she was looking for. The design she picked out featured roses and vines in front of a black background, with gold trim at the top and bottom that formed elaborate geometric designs. There was none in stock, but Ruby put in the order. With everything for the first stage of redecoration sorted, Ruby went looking for Pyrrha.

Pyrrha was looking at the store's selection of rugs. Samples of each design were hung up in what amounted to a big vertical book, making it easy to go through them or compare. Pyrrha flipped back and forth, over and over, going through all the choices several times but never really seeing them. Her mind was elsewhere. Pyrrha knew both she and Ruby were playing pretend, acting like everything was normal as things spiraled out of control. Pyrrha desperately wanted to believe in the fantasy but she was far too rational a person to do that. Something had to be done, and if nothing was, change would be forced on her sooner than later.

"Hey Pyrrha." Ruby said.

Pyrrha jumped and turned to face Ruby. "Oh, you startled me." Pyrrha gasped.

"That's a nice one." Ruby said, pointing past Pyrrha.

"Uh...oh yes, nice." Pyrrha struggled, still behind on the conversation.

"Do you want it?" Ruby asked.

"Oh...um...sure." Pyrrha replied.

"I didn't think pink was your color." Ruby shrugged.

Pyrrha spun around to face the bright pink rug hanging behind her. "Oh, no, I was talking about this one." Pyrrha said, hurriedly flipping to another. What she landed on was a brown and red rug with geometric designs on it.

"I never accused you of having good taste." Ruby laughed.

"Well, if you don't like it we don't need to get it." Pyrrha said, relieved that Ruby had given her an escape from the conversation. "Maybe you should pick one out. It think a rug would look nice under the coffee table."

Hardly looking, Ruby quickly flipped to one. It was red and gold with patterns similar to those commonly seen in Mistral. "I love this one." Ruby said. "I can't believe you didn't pick it out."

"Somehow I missed it." Pyrrha said, forcing a laugh. "It's perfect."

"Yeah, it'll go great with everything else I picked out." Ruby said.

"How'd that go?" Pyrrha asked.

"Great!" Ruby enthused. "I found the perfect stuff. The apartment's going to look amazing once it's all in place. You just have to pay for it and schedule delivery. I hope it's not too expensive."

"Nothing's too expensive for you." Pyrrha said.


	11. Parting

Pyrrha and Ruby went to dinner after shopping then headed home. After recent events Pyrrha was a bit hesitant but Ruby wanted to make love, so they did. It was all part of pretending things were normal. Pyrrha was almost able to convince herself that everything was alright. She even managed to sleep relatively well that night. When she woke up in the morning Ruby was still asleep. Pyrrha gazed at her. The hair on the side of her head was growing back well and her scar was barely visible. Maybe things were getting back to normal. Maybe Ruby's freakout was just an isolated incident and nothing like it would ever happen again.

Pyrrha started making breakfast and by the time it was done, Ruby was awake. After eating Ruby did some painting, though her work was cut short by pain in her shoulder and she went on to watching television. Pyrrha ran on the treadmill. Weiss had sent her a text to expect news on her next opponent and Pyrrha knew training for her next fight would be starting soon. That would pose a problem. After all that had happened, recently in particular, Pyrrha did not think it a good idea to leave Ruby by herself, and at the same time just hanging around the gym would be painfully boring for her. Yang's next fight was coming up but afterwards she could look after Ruby again. Until then Pyrrha would need to find a stopgap measure.

Ruby's lounging and Pyrrha's workout were interrupted by the delivery of the furniture they had purchased the day before. The movers brought up the tables and placed them where Ruby instructed. They then took the old tables out and put them on the curb. Ruby placed the new lamps on the new end tables and stood back to take it all in. With the new wallpaper it would be perfect. She could already see it in her head. Ruby had always thought the apartment a little plain, but soon it would be an artistic paradise. Pyrrha sat on the couch - one so comfortable Ruby could not bear to replace it - with Ruby and they watched TV together for a while. Then Pyrrha made dinner, they watched a little more television, and went to bed.

* * *

Pyrrha woke up to the feeling of pressure on her chest. Opening her eyes she saw Ruby kneeling on her. "Oh, Ruby, you're eager." Pyrrha laughed. "But I think we'll have more fun if we're both awake." Ruby just stared at her. "Ruby?" There was something wrong. It was her eyes. There was none of the love or mischievousness Pyrrha had grown to expect. It was just fear and rage. "Ruby are you…"

Ruby screamed and began throttling Pyrrha. "No no no no no no no!" She shouted as her hands clamped tighter around Pyrrha's neck, crushing her windpipe.

"Ruby...please…" Pyrrha choked. "It's me...Pyrrha…" Ruby just screamed louder and squeezed harder. Pyrrha had to act. She grabbed Ruby's wrists and pulled her arms away. Ruby screamed, in agony rather than fear. The rage and fear on her face contorted to a look of pain. Pyrrha could feel crunching in Ruby's arms. She was hurting her. Pyrrha let go. Immediately Ruby clamped her hands around Pyrrha's neck again, the anger and fear returning. Pyrrha's vision narrowed. Again she grabbed Ruby's wrists and forced her hands away, again accompanied by the agonizing shriek and the crunching of her bones.

Pyrrha let go again. She simply could not bring herself to continue hurting Ruby, no matter the situation. For a third time Ruby's hands clamped around her neck. Pyrrha could force no air through. Her vision narrowed again and started to fade to black and white. Then it started to darken. She was dying and she knew it. Ruby was killing her. But stopping it would mean putting Ruby through agony, and Pyrrha could not do that to her. Pyrrha gazed into Ruby's eyes, those mad, unfocused eyes. "I love you." Pyrrha mouthed as her world went black.

* * *

Pyrrha woke up staring at the ceiling. She was hyperventilating and soaked in sweat. She reached up to her neck. It felt normal. She looked to her side. Ruby was sleeping peacefully. She had no marks on her arms. A dream? But it had been so real, so visceral. He could it possibly have been a dream? It was just 3:30 AM but Pyrrha knew she would not be getting any further sleep that night. She got out of bed as quietly as she could and went to sit on the couch. She briefly considered turning the TV on but instead just sat there in silence, thinking.

"Hey Pyrrha, what's up?" Ruby asked as she plopped down on the couch beside her.

"Oh, hey Ruby." Pyrrha said. She had been so lost in thought that she had not noticed it was morning. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, but you obviously didn't." Ruby replied. "What's wrong?"

"That obvious huh?" Pyrrha sighed. "I...had a bad dream."

"It must have been really bad if it has you like this." Ruby said.

"I lost a fight." Pyrrha said.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Ruby observed.

"My opponent choked me to death." Pyrrha continued.

"That is pretty bad." Ruby said. "But don't worry. Nothing like that would ever happen."

"Of course not." Pyrrha agreed. "It was just a dream." She forced a smile and gave Ruby a hug. "So, breakfast?"

"Sure." Ruby said.

* * *

The day seemed to go on as normal. Ruby painted, but again her work was cut short by shoulder pain. Pyrrha worked out. She threw herself into it. Faster speeds on the treadmill, lifting heavier weights, there was no gradual approach today. Still she could not get that nightmare out of her head. Questions filled her mind. "What would she do if Ruby had another hallucination? What if Ruby attacked her? What if Ruby hurt her? What if...what if she hurt Ruby...worse than she already had?" No matter how hard Pyrrha pushed herself in her workout the questions remained. There was just no getting around it.

Pyrrha ordered delivery for dinner and tried her best to enjoy the meal with Ruby. Ruby tried to go back to painting after they ate but was too tired to do much and soon went to bed. Pyrrha had been waiting for that. She needed to talk to someone, in person. Who could help her? The only name she could come up with was Yang. Once Pyrrha was sure Ruby was asleep Pyrrha slipped out and drove to Yang's apartment. She took the elevator up and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Yang called from inside.

"Pyrrha." She said. "I need to talk."

"Come on in." Yang said. "I'm in the kitchen."

Pyrrha had the key to Yang's apartment as Yang had the key to hers. She made her way toward the kitchen, but the state of the apartment was alarming. Clothes were scattered about. One of the floor lamps was on its side. There were liquor bottles everywhere. Pyrrha had never known Yang to be so messy. She could be a bit disorganized at times, but her apartment was usually in good shape. In the kitchen it was worse. Yang was hunched over the table, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in her hand. More empty bottles were scattered around. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink. Yang herself was visibly drunk.

"Sorry...I guess it's a bad time." Pyrrha said. She turned to leave.

"No, no, please stay." Yang implored. "Have a drink."

"I don't want a drink." Pyrrha said. "I just wanted to talk."

"So talk." Yang said. "What do you need?"

"Ruby...I...I'm afraid I'll hurt her...or she'll hurt me." Pyrrha admitted. "I'm terrified. Terrified of what she might do, terrified of what I might do. I just...I don't know…"

"I was supposed to protect her." Yang groaned. She took a big swig from the bottle.

"Yang, I don't know what to do." Pyrrha said. "What should I do?"

"I don't know." Yang sighed. "I couldn't help her. I'm useless. I can't even help you help her. The doctors couldn't help either. If you can't...maybe no one can." Yang took another drink and started crying. "I'm so sorry. I failed her. I failed my parents. I failed everyone."

"Yang…" Pyrrha started. She saw that her words would have no effect. Yang was too far gone. "I'm sorry too. Just...just take care of yourself okay."

"Yeah yeah." Yang wept. "Do what's best for Ruby."

"I...I will." Pyrrha said. "No matter what."

* * *

When Pyrrha got home she did not bother trying to sleep. She put the TV on and laid on the couch. She may have dozed off a bit here and there, but mostly she was awake and worrying. When Ruby woke up in the morning she seemed concerned but Pyrrha told her she was not feeling well, and Ruby left it at that. She went into her studio and painted, all day this time, only emerging for lunch and dinner. In the afternoon Pyrrha got a phone call, confirmation of her next opponent and the date of the fight. She would have three months to prepare. The little workouts she had been doing at home would help, but now that she knew who she was fighting she would need to start a proper training program at the gym.

That posed a bit of a problem but Pyrrha had come to a solution. She called Ren to discuss their training and mentioned that she did not want to leave Ruby alone. Ren said Nora often got lonely while he was training and suggested she hang out with Ruby while they were at the gym. Nora was probably not the best choice to take care of Ruby, but for now she was the only choice. At least Pyrrha could be reasonably sure Nora would not do anything to hurt Ruby, at least not intentionally.

So in the morning Ren and Nora showed up at the apartment. They brought with them a container filled with Ren's pancakes for Ruby and Nora to enjoy for breakfast. Ren was Ren, but Nora seemed exceptionally excited. "I'm taking care of Ruby today!" Nora exclaimed. She hugged Ruby, far too tightly, then backed off. She shifted her weight back and forth, unable to keep still. "I had a girl who took care of me once. What was her name?" Ren seemed about to interject but Nora continued. "She was super nice, had everything in her bag you could ever need! Except fireworks, I was really bummed about that. Now Ren takes care of me! Still no fireworks, except in bed!" Nora laughed hysterically for a moment before bouncing off into the kitchen to start on the pancakes. Ruby followed.

"You ready?" Ren asked Pyrrha.

"Yep." Pyrrha replied. "Have fun you two!"

Ren and Pyrrha headed down into the parking garage and slid into Pyrrha's sports car. They left Ren's car there in case Ruby and Nora needed it in an emergency, his sedan being easier to drive for the two novices. Pyrrha fired the engine and drove out, heading for the gym. "So, what's wrong?" Ren asked.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"I can tell you're not yourself." Ren replied.

Pyrrha thought she had done a good job of putting on a happy facade. "How did you…" She started.

"People think just because I don't show it, I don't feel normal emotions." Ren explained. "I do. My reactions are just...subtle. The one good thing about it is that I've become very good at noticing small changes in other people. It's important with Nora because even though she always seems manic, she's mostly that way to hide what she's really feeling. It takes a keen eye to see past that. Anyway, the fake smile, the forced enthusiasm, you're not happy. I don't think it's just because you're leaving for the day either."

"God, you read me like a book." Pyrrha sighed. "It's a shame you haven't found a way to profit from that talent."

"So what's wrong?" Ren pressed.

"It's...Ruby." Pyrrha replied. "Don't tell anyone, but...she's been having hallucinations. When we came in with the dislocated shoulder...I did that to her. She attacked me, seeing me as the person who shot her, and I tried to restrain her but…" Tears rolled down Pyrrha's cheeks.

"You're afraid you'll hurt her again." Ren finished for Pyrrha.

"She's a danger to me and I'm a danger to her." Pyrrha said. "I just...I don't know what to do."

"Living with someone who has an unpredictable mental state can be...tricky." Ren said.

"How do you do it with Nora?" Pyrrha asked. It was common knowledge around the gym that Nora occasionally had psychotic episodes that were sometimes destructive.

"For one, I don't have to worry about hurting her." Ren said. "I only have to worry about her hurting me, and I can live with that."

"That can't be it." Pyrrha said.

"Well, early in our relationship…" Ren started.

* * *

That night Ren and Pyrrha came home with dinner. They ate with Ruby and Nora before Ren and Nora headed home for the night. "So how was your day with Nora?" Pyrrha asked.

"It was pretty good." Ruby replied. "She insisted on watching me paint. I hate having people watch me. It makes me feel self-conscious. But it seemed like she was amazed the whole time, so I guess that was a bit of a boost. Then we watched some TV. We were watching this game show and she got really annoyed when the contestants did dumb stuff. I've never seen someone yell at the TV so much. It was fun though. I painted a bit more and she lifted some weights, so I guess it wasn't too different from how it's been lately."

"That's good." Pyrrha said.

"Is everything alright?" Ruby asked. "You seem a bit down."

"Oh, training wasn't great today." Pyrrha lied. "I guess I'm a little rusty."

"You're probably better rusty than most fighters are in peak condition." Ruby laughed.

"How are you feeling?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pretty good." Ruby replied. "My head hasn't been hurting as much and my shoulder's feeling pretty good. No hallucinations or anything."

"That's a relief." Pyrrha said. "So, would you like to make love tonight?"

"Of course!" Ruby exclaimed. She found it a bit strange that Pyrrha would be the one to initiate, particularly given her recent reluctance, but Ruby was not about to turn her down. Better, Pyrrha seemed even more into it than usual, going above and beyond to make sure both fully enjoyed themselves.

* * *

It was all part of Pyrrha's plan. She was going to do what was best for Ruby, no matter how personally painful it was. Ruby slept like a rock after sex. Once she was asleep Pyrrha slipped out of bed and went to work.

* * *

Ruby woke up fairly early, just after dawn, as sunlight streamed in through the windows. Pyrrha was not beside her. She was usually up earlier anyway. Ruby let her eyes adjust to the light for a few moments before slowly getting to her feet. Her balance was slow in coming but after a few seconds she was alright, stumbling a bit as she groggily headed for the bedroom door. She pushed it open and stepped into the main room. Pyrrha was there seated on the couch, but she was not alone. Something was off.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby said, still trying to break out of her early-morning haze.

Pyrrha stood, taking a bag in her hand. "Good morning Ruby." She said. "Did you sleep well?"

"The bed was a bit cold." Ruby replied. "Who's this?"

"I'm Penny." The ginger-haired woman answered. "I'm a nurse. I'll be your caretaker."

"Caretaker…" Ruby said. "Pyrrha, what's going on?" Ruby looked around. In addition to the bag in Pyrrha's hand there were two pieces of her luggage beside the door. "Why are your bags packed? Your fight isn't for a while."

"I...I…Ruby I'm…" Pyrrha stammered. "I have to go Ruby."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "Go where?"

Pyrrha was struggling not to cry, but it was a losing battle and tears were filling her eyes. "Away…" She replied. "I can't stay."

"Can't?" Ruby gasped. "What, why?!"

"If I stay...if I stay I might…" Pyrrha struggled. "I hurt you Ruby!"

"You're leaving me?" Ruby asked, tears filling her eyes as well.

"No!" Pyrrha exclaimed. She looked down at the floor, unable to look Ruby in the face. "No, it's not like that! I just...I have to go. I tried...I tried to help but I can't. Ruby, I don't know how. I just don't want to hurt you again!"

"Please don't go." Ruby sobbed, the tears now flowing freely.

"Penny is a good person." Pyrrha said. "She's trained to help. I trust her."

Ruby took a step towards Pyrrha but she backed away.

"I don't want Penny, I want you!" Ruby cried, choking on her tears. "Please don't go. I love you! I can't do this alone!"

"You...you won't be alone." Pyrrha said. A tear rolled down her cheek but she dragged her sleeve across her face to clear it away. "Penny will never leave. She's stronger than I am. She's better than I am. She can help." Pyrrha sighed. "I'll only hurt you again."

"Pyrrha, please don't go, please." Ruby begged.

Pyrrha walked to the door, opened it, and took hold of the other pieces of luggage. "I have to go Ruby." She said, choking back her tears. "Because I love you, and that means doing what's best for you, even if it hurts." She paused and forced herself to look Ruby in the eyes. Those silver, pleading, tear-filled eyes. "Goodbye Ruby." Pyrrha rushed out the door, closing it behind her as quickly as possible.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby called. "Pyrrha, no! Stop! Please! Don't go!" Ruby dropped to her knees, covering her face with her hands. "Pyrrha…" She sobbed.

Pyrrha was standing just outside. She wanted to turn around, wanted to go back. She was so close to changing her mind. She dropped her bags and was ready to head back inside. No, she had to be strong, for Ruby. This was for the best. It would hurt Ruby now, but in the long term it would help her, protect her. Pyrrha placed a hand on the door and leaned her forehead against it. "I'm sorry Ruby." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."


	12. Hopeless

Ruby sobbed uncontrollably, tears pouring down her face. She remained there where she had collapsed to her knees. Any sort of concept of time faded from her mind. All she could think of was Pyrrha. There was nothing and no one else in the world she wanted, and now she was gone. Ruby knew it was her own fault. If her brain was not all screwed up Pyrrha would still be there. If Ruby had not violently attacked her, Pyrrha would still be there. But now she was not and there was nothing Ruby could do by cry.

"Ruby…" Penny said, crouching beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know it hurts but it'll be alright. You'll get through this."

Ruby had totally forgotten about Penny. Not that it really mattered. All that mattered was Pyrrha. "But...I…Pyrrha…" Ruby choked.

"Come on now." Penny encouraged. "Let's get up off the floor and move somewhere more comfortable." Penny took Ruby's hands and helped her up, guiding her to the couch. Ruby curled up in the fetal position once there. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No." Ruby wept. "I just want Pyrrha."

"I know." Penny said. Her manner of speech was a bit choppy but there was a friendly and soothing quality to her voice. Ruby could hear her take a few steps away before rustling around in her bag. She produced a box of tissues and set it down on the coffee table in front of Ruby. Then she sat down beside Ruby. Ruby instinctively shifted so that her head was on Penny's lap. Penny started gently stroking her hair. "It's all going to be alright. We're going to get through this."

Ruby was not so sure. She kept crying. After a while Penny got up to get her a bottle of water and a fresh box of tissues, the first entirely exhausted. Then Penny returned to her side.

* * *

The day before Pyrrha had worked it all out. In addition to contacting and hiring Penny on Ren's suggestion, she had talked to Weiss and secured her new accommodations. The gym had a bedroom for new fighters to use while they found a place of their own, and since it was vacant Pyrrha was going to use it. She had not told Weiss why she wanted it and dodged the question when asked. She got her things squared away and sat on the bed for a while. Soon she realized she was crying. She had been gone for an hour, maybe two, and already the sense of isolation was crushing.

Her phone rang. It was Ruby. She declined the call. There was no way she could talk to her, not now, not after what she had just done. Immediately Ruby called again. Again Pyrrha declined the call. Then a third time. Then Ruby sent a text. Pyrrha could not bear to read it. Then another, and another, and another. She turned off her phone. She knew going in that it was going to be hard, but it was turning out to be so much worse than anticipated. It took almost an hour but she managed to compose herself. She put on a steely expression and emerged into the gym. She was going to train and train and train. It was the only way she could keep her sanity.

* * *

Ruby tried calling Pyrrha. All attempts went to voicemail and she left message after message begging her to come back. Then she tried texting, over and over, but there was no response. After that Ruby tried calling Yang but got no response. Her phone was off. That made sense, she was probably training. Even with Penny there Ruby felt a loneliness unlike any she had felt before. Penny made lunch and later dinner, but Ruby remained curled up on the couch. Penny brought some food to her and managed to coax her into eating a bit, but she had little appetite. When she was not crying, Ruby lie there in silence. Penny would give the occasional word of encouragement, but Ruby did not care.

Well after dark Ruby's phone rang. It was Yang. "Yang I…" Ruby started.

"Hey sis, sorry I missed your calls." Yang cut in. From the way she slurred her speech it was clear that she was drunk. "I guess my phone was off. What's up?"

"Pyrrha…Pyrrha left." Ruby wept.

"Where did she go?" Yang asked. "I saw her at the gym…"

"No...you're not getting it." Ruby said. "She left...she left me."

"What?!" Yang shouted. "Why?!"

"She said she was afraid of hurting me." Ruby sobbed. "She hired a nurse to take care of me but...but...I want her to come back."

"Oh God...I...I…" Yang started to cry. "I'm so sorry. I failed you. I failed her. I failed mom and dad and everyone. I just...I didn't know…" Her speech devolved into drunken babbling and sobbing.

"Yang I need your help." Ruby pleaded.

"I can't help!" Yang cried. "I'm useless! I just...I can't!" She hung up.

Ruby was left stunned and sobbing. Whenever she had had a problem, whenever she had been in a tough spot, Yang had always been there for her. Now Pyrrha had abandoned her and Yang too. Without them, what hope was there?

Penny noticed Ruby's obvious pain. "You're going to make it through this." She encouraged. "It will get better. I promise."

"And what if it doesn't?" Ruby cried. "This is...everything's wrong! There's no hope!"

"There's always hope." Penny said. "You just have to believe things will get better."

"I want to believe." Ruby wept. "But I can't."

* * *

The next day Ruby did not want to get out of bed. She was still crying on and off, usually on, but Penny always had tissues for her. "You can't keep going like this." Penny said.

"I know." Ruby wept. "I just...I don't know what to do."

"You like to paint right?" Penny asked. "Why not do that?

"But I was painting a portrait of Pyrrha." Ruby sighed. "I...I can't bear to look at it now. With the way I'm feeling...I don't think I could do a good job anyway."

"Well, why don't you paint what you're feeling?" Penny suggested. "It could be a healthy outlet."

"How do I paint a feeling?" Ruby asked.

"You're the artist." Penny replied. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I guess I could give it a try." Ruby said. She forced herself out of bed.

"Good, take a shower and I'll make breakfast." Penny said. "Then you can paint!"

"You know, I never even thought about it, where are you sleeping?" Ruby asked.

"I slept on the couch." Penny replied.

"That's no good." Ruby said.

"No, it's fine." Penny assured her. "I'm used to it. And your couch is very comfortable."

"Well, if you insist." Ruby shrugged.

* * *

Pyrrha dared to turn her phone on. More missed calls and texts. All from Ruby. She turned it off again and tossed aside. After getting dressed she headed into the gym, stretched and got warmed up. When Ren arrived they sparred for hours. He would be her primary training partner leading into her next fight. His style most closely matched that of her opponent, so the pairing made sense. It would also hopefully boost Ren's skills for his as yet unscheduled next fight. Pyrrha expected him to be judgemental, being as friendly with Ruby and Yang as he was.

By now just about everyone at the gym was aware of what had happened between Pyrrha and Ruby and the whispers were cruel. Pyrrha knew she deserved it. Just as the others said she had left Ruby in her time of need. Though Pyrrha was still paying for the apartment and Penny's services, she had effectively abandoned Ruby. Pyrrha still believed she had done the right thing for the right reasons, even if it seemed wrong to the others. To her surprise Ren did not say a word about it. There was something in his eyes though, a mixture of guilt and disappointment. That hurt almost as much as the rumors.

* * *

Ruby took the unfinished portrait of Pyrrha off the stand. She did her best to not look at it. She walked it over to the corner and placed it face-down. She could not bear to destroy it though she was tempted. If she did that it would be like giving up on Pyrrha ever changing her mind. Ruby was close to that point but not quite there. She set up a new canvas and sat on her stool. Penny had suggested she paint how she was feeling. That was easier said than done. Ruby did not want to just paint a super-sad scene, as that would only reinforce her pain.

Ruby decided to paint one of her hallucinations. It had been terrifying, and she was feeling pretty scared now. The shadow monsters she had seen while Yang was taking care of her...that was a good start. She started by painting a vibrant background. It was not meant to depict any scene in particular. The hallucination had taken place during a happier time and the background was a reflection of that. She found that painting something interpretive rather than representative of reality was easier and faster, almost automatic as inspiration overtook her conscious actions. Almost before she knew it the canvas was covered in bright blues, yellows and reds.

Ruby noticed some movement behind the canvas. The face-down portrait of Pyrrha was shaking. How? Ruby got up and took a few steps toward it. It shook more violently before melting into a puddle. Ruby stood stunned. The liquid started piling up on itself, as if it were growing, rising above the floor. Ruby staggered back as the goo took humanoid form. Its features began to resolve and it took on a more solid consistency. It was...Pyrrha?

"Hi Ruby." Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha...you're back!" Ruby gasped.

"Not for long." Pyrrha hissed. "There were just a few thing I wanted to get off my chest."

"What?" Ruby said.

"You're so selfish and needy!" Pyrrha shouted. "You took all my time and money. And for what? Nothing in return. I never loved you, you know. I just felt sorry for you."

"Pyrrha I…" Ruby wept.

"Shut up you disgusting worm." Pyrrha hissed. "You're ugly, pathetic and stupid. Your art is terrible. We only say it's good to not hurt your feelings."

"Stop." Ruby sobbed.

"Now that you're broken what good are you?" Pyrrha said. "You're a burden on everyone. I wish I'd never met you."

"Penny, help!" Ruby called out. She backed away from Pyrrha. The door swung open. "Penny…" But it was not Penny. A towering shadow-figure stood in the doorway and started approaching Ruby. It snarled and growled as it reached out towards her. Ruby backed up, backing herself into a corner as Pyrrha and the shadow closed in. She covered her face with her arms, dropped to the floor, and curled up in the fetal position, crying.

The growling continued and Ruby felt a hand on her shoulder. She expected to be ripped to shreds at any moment. But she was not. The growling gradually softened until it sounded human. "Ruby…" She was sure she heard her name. "Ruby stay calm." She definitely did, even if it was distorted. Ruby moved her arms and forced her eyes open. Everything was normal. Pyrrha was gone. The shadow was gone. Penny was crouched beside her, rubbing her shoulder. "Ruby, are you okay?" Penny asked.

Ruby looked around. The unfinished portrait was back where she had put it, face down on the floor and not at all a puddle. "I...I saw things." Ruby stammered. "Terrible things."

"Everything's okay." Penny assured her. "You're safe. Now let's get you to bed for some rest." Penny helped Ruby to her feet and walked her to bed. "I'll be right back." Penny left the bedroom, returning a few minutes later with a tray carrying a bowl of soup. "I made you some chicken noodle soup. It always makes me feel better." She placed the tray across Ruby's lap.

"Tha...Thank you." Ruby said, still in shock.

"So, will you tell me about what you saw?" Penny asked.

"I saw Pyrrha." Ruby replied. "She...she said such horrible things to me." Ruby started sobbing all over again. "About how she never loved me, how terrible I am at everything…"

"But it's not true." Penny cut her off. "She does love you."

"Then why did she leave?" Ruby cried.

"I can't say for sure." Penny admitted. "But I think she was scared. She didn't want to risk hurting you more than she already has."

"But leaving me hurts most of all." Ruby wept.

"I know." Penny said. "She'll realize that in time. Did you see anything else?"

"The door opened and a monster came in." Ruby said.

"I guess that was me." Penny said. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"No, it's alright." Ruby sighed. "This is my fault."

"Ruby, it's no one's fault." Penny said. "You were injured, and that wasn't your fault. Now you just have to do the best you can. If you try, really try, you can get through it. I know you can."

"Thanks Penny but…" Ruby started. "Never mind. Thanks for the soup."

* * *

After spending the morning and early afternoon sparring with Ren, Pyrrha was called over by Coach. He had spotted a few minor weaknesses in her game and wanted to address them himself. "Your ground game wasn't as snappy as usual." Coach said. "Your submissions were a little off too."

"Let's work on that then." Pyrrha said. "Is there anything in particular you think I need to improve?"

"Let's roll and see how it goes." Coach said. "Start on your back, full guard." Pyrrha dropped to the mat, laying on her back. Coach knelt down between her legs and Pyrrha wrapped him up, pulling his head down to her stomach. "Go!"

Coach tried to push Pyrrha's legs away to advance his position but Pyrrha was too strong. He tried to force it, but Pyrrha went with the momentum and threw him to the side. They scrambled and she ended up on top. Coach tried to grab behind her knee to throw her off, but she caught his arm with her hands and immediately had him in an armbar. She fell back, threw her legs across his chest and pulled. _Snap!_

"Well, it seems you've broken my arm." Coach said without a hint of pain in his voice. "I guess you were _snappy_ after all."

Pyrrha immediately released him and stood. Coach lie there on the mat, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle. "I'm so sorry." Pyrrha gasped.

"That's alright." Coach said as he sat up. "I guess these old bones aren't as strong as they used to be! I'll have Doc set this and it'll be fine in no time."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked.

"I'll be fine!" Coach assured her. "I know I asked you to show your full talent, but in training you should try to take it down a notch on the power. At least give your opponent the chance to tap."

"I didn't realize...I'm sorry." Pyrrha said. "I...I think I should call it a day."

"That's probably a good idea." Coach agreed. "I know you're going through some stuff, but the ring isn't the place to work it out. Take some time and get your head on straight."

* * *

Ruby woke up in the morning still shaken by the previous day's hallucination. She had talked to Yang again, but she was in even worse shape than the first time. Ruby realized Yang's problems stemmed from her guilt over Ruby's condition. After another series of phone calls and texts, Pyrrha had once again not responded. It was clear that she never would. She was gone forever. Penny was nice, but she was not Pyrrha, and there would never be a replacement to satisfy Ruby. Yang and Pyrrha, once good friends, probably hated one another now. Ruby had torn their worlds apart.

Penny made breakfast again. Ruby quietly sat and ate. There were no tears and no hysterics. "Are you feeling better today?" Penny asked as Ruby finished up.

"A little." Ruby replied. "I'm a little low on tissues though."

"Oh, I'll just have to run down to my car." Penny said. "You've gone through 7 boxes you know."

"Wow...well, thanks for having them for me." Ruby said.

"Not a problem." Penny said with a smile. "I'll go right down and grab a few more boxes."

Ruby collected the things she needed while Penny was getting the tissues. "I'm going to paint for a while." Ruby said when Penny returned. She took a box and headed into her studio, locking the door behind her. She did not want to be disturbed. First she took out a pen and paper and started writing. It was a bit difficult, as without a table all she could do was lay on the floor to do it. It was hard to find the words but she mostly apologized, to Yang and Pyrrha in particular, for screwing up everyone's lives.

Penny knocked on the door. "Ruby, I was doing the dishes and I noticed one of the knives was missing." Penny said. "Do you know where it is?"

Damn, Penny's neurosis was going to ruin everything. "Oh, no." Ruby lied. "I must have misplaced it."

"Okay, I'll look around." Penny said.

Ruby could hear Penny's footsteps get farther away. It was only a matter of time before she figured it out. Ruby wanted to say goodbye but Yang was too far gone and Pyrrha would not return her calls. There was the portrait though. That was as close as she was going to get. Ruby lifted the painting off the floor and held it before her. "I'm sorry Pyrrha." She wept. "I'm so sorry. But I miss you so much and I can't go on without you." She kissed the portrait and put it face down on the floor.

Ruby sat down against the wall and pulled the knife out of her pocket. It was the sharpest, meanest looking knife she had. In her head it was so simple, but now the act was proving far more difficult. With her hand shaking, Ruby held the blade to her wrist as tears streamed down her face. Yang was going to blame herself. Pyrrha too. Even Penny. All her friends. They would all blame themselves. It was a terribly selfish thing to do and Ruby knew it, but what else was there? Pyrrha was gone, Yang was a wreck. There was no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel.

There was another knock at the door. "Can I come in?" Penny asked. Ruby said nothing. She tried the knob. The door was locked. Ruby did not typically lock the door. "Ruby! Open the door!" Again no reply. "I'm coming in!" Penny took a step back, took a deep breath, and lunged forward foot-first. The door frame separated from the wall and the door swung open. "Ruby stop! Oh…"

Ruby lie on the floor crying, the knife several feet away from her, just the smallest of cuts on her arm. "Penny…" Ruby sobbed. "Help me!"


	13. Destruction

As usual Pyrrha spent the morning sparring with Ren. He did not have the stand-up striking game Pyrrha did, but his grappling and takedowns were quite good. To practice her kickboxing Pyrrha needed a different opponent however. Sun was relatively new to Vale Top Team and MMA in general. He had fought on a few undercards in the VFC but was still relatively unknown. He was a decent enough kickboxer but the real key to his success was his incredible speed and agility. He may not have been the hardest or most technically proficient hitter, but he was among the quickest.

Pyrrha and Sun squared off in the ring at around midday. It took a few minutes for Pyrrha to adjust to his style, so unlike Ren's. It was rare for Pyrrha to take so many hits, even minor ones, but Sun's speed was enough to get him around her guard more often that most fighters would. Pyrrha was surprised, forced onto the defensive by the unending flurry of strikes, and hardly able to throw a punch or kick of her own. When she did find an opening, Sun usually ducked away or closed it before Pyrrha could land a good hit. If it was a real fight she would probably be losing on points.

Pyrrha did notice one weakness to Sun's game. He always made the same moves when he threw a combo. Most of the time it was fine, with that movement putting him out of harm's way from a counter, but one left his face very exposed, if only briefly. Normally it would not be an issue because the flurry of strikes before the head move would cause his opponent to cover up and block, but not Pyrrha. She waited for him to launch his combo, bobbing her head back and forth to avoid the strikes. Then, as usual, Sun left himself exposed.

Pyrrha threw a straight right the connected hard. Sun immediately crumpled, covering his face with his hands. When he pulled them away they were covered in the blood gushing from his nose. "Shit!" Sun shouted. "It's fuckin' broken! Fuck!"

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha gasped.

"Motherfucker!" Sun yelled. "This was supposed to be practice. Shit!"

"I didn't mean…" Pyrrha started. "I'm really sorry."

"Why don't you call it a day?" Ren suggested from outside the ring.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." Pyrrha sighed. Doc came in to tend to Sun and Pyrrha walked out hanging her head. Two days, two opponents injured.

* * *

Penny helped Ruby up, put a bandage over the small cut on her arm, then guided her into bed. "Penny, please don't leave me too." Ruby pleaded.

"I won't Ruby." Penny said, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. "I promise."

"I'm so, so sorry." Ruby sobbed.

"It's okay." Penny said. "But don't ever do that again."

"It's just so hard." Ruby wept. "Everyone's gone."

"They'll come back." Penny assured her. "I know they will."

"I miss Pyrrha." Ruby cried.

"I know." Penny said.

"I miss Yang too." Ruby added. "When I was young and I had a bad dream, she would hold me. I would wake up in her arms and everything would be alright. Now every moment is a nightmare and I can't wake up. There's no one to hold me anyway. I just...I don't know what to do."

"And that's okay." Penny said. "But you have to believe it will get better. You can't lose hope."

"I'll try." Ruby sighed. "But it's so hard."

"I know." Penny said. "But I'll do everything I can to help."

"Thank you." Ruby said. "Thank you so much."

* * *

The following morning Pyrrha dared to turn her phone on again. There was another pile of missed calls and texts, but it was not constantly ringing at least. She hoped Ruby had moved on. One of the notifications stuck out. It was from Penny, not Ruby. Pyrrha called Penny up to see what was happening.

"Hello." Penny said cheerfully as she answered the call.

"Hey Penny, you called yesterday?" Pyrrha said.

"I did." Penny replied. Her voice turned serious.

"What...what about?" Pyrrha asked nervously.

"Ruby…" Penny sighed. "Ruby attempted suicide."

"Oh God, you stopped her right?" Pyrrha gasped.

"She stopped herself." Penny answered. "She's okay, just a little cut on her arm. I think she's doing better psychologically as well. I just thought you should know. Please tell Yang as well. I was unable to reach her."

"I...this is all my fault." Pyrrha groaned. "If I…"

"Ruby wants you to come back." Penny cut her off. "She's promised not to harm herself again, but I don't think her condition will significantly improve if you keep ignoring her."

"But...I can't come back." Pyrrha said. "I hurt her. I'll just hurt her again. And...she deserves someone better."

"She wants to talk to you." Penny said. "I'm giving her the phone."

Pyrrha pulled the phone away from her ear and held it in front of her. She could just barely hear Ruby's voice. "Hello? Hello? Pyrrha?" She held the phone tighter and tighter. It was too much. "Pyrrha, please talk to me." A crack shot across the screen as the phone broke in Pyrrha's hand. She screamed and threw it across the room where it hit the wall and broke into several pieces. The small stream of tears running down her face became a flood. She buried her face in her pillow, muffling her cries.

There was a knock at the door. "Pyrrha, it's time to train." Ren said. "You're already late."

Pyrrha choked back the tears and did her best to compose herself. "Sorry." She said. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

Pyrrha stepped into the ring with Ren but her mind was elsewhere. Ruby had nearly killed herself and Pyrrha could only blame herself. If she had not left...no...she just would have been the one to injure Ruby like she already had. But she missed her so much. She loved her so much. But she could not go back, not now. Not after causing all that emotional pain in addition to the physical harm. So many of the people around her looked at her as the bad guy. Now she felt like she was.

Ren shot for a takedown. Pyrrha snapped back to reality and brushed off the attempt. Ren stepped back and wound up for a head-kick. Pyrrha saw her opening, spun around, and kicked Ren in the side with all her might. _Crunch!_ Ren doubled over in pain, grabbing his chest. As he leaned forward Pyrrha kneed him in the face. Dazed, Ren fell to the mat on his back. In an instant Pyrrha was astride his torso, delivering punch after punch to his face. He got his hands up and defended himself as best he could, but Pyrrha was too strong and too fast, and he was too injured besides. It was past the point where any sane referee would have stopped the match, but it was just a sparring session and there was no referee. Pyrrha just kept punching, grunting, almost screaming with each shot.

Weiss, Blake, Sun and Coach stood there staring as if transfixed. It was like Pyrrha was an entirely different person. It was terrifying. "Pyrrha!" Blake shouted. Pyrrha ignored her. "Stop!" Blake leapt over the side of the cage and into the ring, tackling Pyrrha off of Ren. "Pyrrha, what the fuck?!"

Pyrrha lie on her back, hyperventilating. Blake got up and backed away. "I...I...I…" Pyrrha stammered.

"Goddamn it!" Blake shouted. "Someone get Doc!" She knelt at Ren's side. "Ren, are you okay?"

"Ribs...broken…" Ren groaned. Blood covered his face from a laceration above his eye. His other eye was already swelling shut. "Hurts...to breathe."

Blake turned back toward Pyrrha just as she was getting to her feet. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Blake yelled. "He's your teammate! He's your friend!"

Pyrrha backed away until she bumped into the edge of the cage, just beside the door. "I...I'm so sorry!" She cried. She turned and ran out of the cage, struggling to hide the tears pouring down her cheeks, and locked herself in her room.

* * *

Ruby went back to painting though Penny frequently checked up on her. After digging around a bit Penny found a box of nails and used it to repair the door frame damaged the day before. Even though she hated painting with someone watching, Ruby kept going even with Penny in the room. Ruby had moved on to painting the more terrifying aspects of her hallucinations, the shadow figures that had attacked her. They were at the same time somehow blurry and sharp, undoubtedly sinister. Ruby found just thinking about it unsettling but painting them gave her something of a feeling of control over them.

"I think I'm done." Ruby announced.

"I am as well." Penny reported. "May I see your painting?"

"Go ahead." Ruby replied. She turned the stand around so it faced Penny.

"It's quite haunting." Penny said. "It's very good but it might be the scariest painting I've ever seen."

"It was scarier when I was actually seeing them." Ruby sighed.

"But they're gone now." Penny said. "You overcame it. You were even brave enough to put them on the canvas. You're stronger than you think."

"Maybe." Ruby said. "I guess I'll have to start another painting now."

"Let's eat lunch first." Penny suggested.

"That sounds good." Ruby agreed. She walked to the door. "Wow, you did a really good job of fixing it."

"My father encouraged me to learn all the practical skills I could." Penny said. "You never know when they'll come in handy."

"I guess carpentry was a good one to have." Ruby said.

"Usually I repair the damage my patients have done, not something I did." Penny said. "I think I understand why some can be so destructive. Kicking the door in felt...liberating."

"It looked really impressive." Ruby said. "Like something out of an action movie."

"Just another skill to put to use." Penny laughed.

Ruby followed Penny into the kitchen. Ruby's head ached. Between the focus on the painting and the hammering from Penny's repairs, the pain was a bit more intense than usual. She checked the medicine drawer but there was no aspirin. "Penny, do you have any aspirin?" Ruby asked. "I'm all out."

Penny was already working on lunch. "There should be some in my bag." She replied. "Go ahead and take some."

Ruby walked over to the large pink bag Penny always carried around. She expected it to be as messy as her own, but when she opened the zipper she found everything inside was meticulously sorted and clearly labeled. She found a pocket marked "Medicine" and reached inside, pulling out a large container split into multiple labeled compartments. Sure enough there was "Aspirin" along with a series of other over-the-counter medications that would treat just about any ailment. Ruby found something strange though.

"Penny, why do you have morning after pills and regular birth control pills?" Ruby asked.

"The birth control pills are mine." Penny said. "As for the others, I can never be sure what my patients will get up to."

"Wow, you're like a neurotic angel." Ruby said.

"Thank you!" Penny said with a smile.

"You've got everything in here." Ruby said. "Wait, did you ever take care of a girl named Nora?"

"I did." Penny confirmed. "Do you know her?"

"Yeah, we're friends." Ruby replied. "How did you ever deal with her?"

"Well, it wasn't a live-in situation like this." Penny explained. "I just visited frequently until she found a combination of medications that worked."

"Weren't you afraid of her?" Ruby asked.

"Of course I was." Penny admitted. "She could snap me in half like a toothpick. But after a while I realized she would never hurt me, even when she seemed out of control. The best course of action was usually to let her hug it out."

"With her cripplingly strong hugs?" Ruby asked.

"I have a good chiropractor." Penny laughed.

* * *

Weiss pounded on the door. "Pyrrha Nikos, open the door this instant!" She demanded. There was no reply. "Pyrrha, I'm giving you one more chance to act like an adult!" Still no reply. Weiss sighed and slipped the key into the lock, opening the door herself. She entered the room to find it dark. The only sound was Pyrrha's sobbing as she lay curled up on her bed.

"Go away." Pyrrha cried.

"No." Weiss said. "We need to talk."

"Just leave me alone." Pyrrha wept.

"I can't." Weiss said. "You're injuring all my employees."

"Maybe if they were stronger they wouldn't get hurt so easily." Pyrrha snapped.

"You don't mean that." Weiss sighed. "That isn't you."

"What do you know about me?" Pyrrha sobbed.

"I know that this whole thing is about you and Ruby." Weiss replied. "I've got to admit, the situation paints you in a very negative light. But I know you're a better person than you appear here. Please tell me what's going on. Help me understand so I can help you."

"You can't help me anyway." Pyrrha sighed.

"Humor me." Weiss said.

"Fine." Pyrrha relented. "I can't help her by being there. I'll just hurt her. I _already_ hurt her. I was the one who dislocated her shoulder. She was hallucinating, and she attacked me, and I tried to stop her but… Then I hurt her even more by leaving. She tried to kill herself because of me!"

"The longer you stay away the more painful it will be for both of you." Weiss said.

"I can't go back." Pyrrha sobbed. "I can't face her. Not now. Nothing you say here is going to change my mind."

"Fine." Weiss sighed. "Just stop injuring my fighters. You're the best in the world but if you keep injuring your training partners I'm going to have to suggest you find a new gym. This is your last warning."

"I'll...try to keep myself in check." Pyrrha wept. Weiss shook her head and left. She could think of nothing else to say or do.

* * *

"Well, it looks like _you're_ training with Pyrrha now." Weiss said to Blake. "The only other option is Yang and I don't think that's a good idea."

"After what I saw today I don't want to get anywhere near her." Blake said.

"I know it looks bad, and it certainly is, but she's going through a lot." Weiss said.

"Why should I care?" Blake asked.

"Because I think you might be the one person who can kind of understand her." Weiss replied. "Ruby...Ruby's been having hallucinations, violent ones. That's why Pyrrha left. She was afraid of hurting her."

"Hallucinations…" Blake said.

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Weiss asked. "You should probably have a talk with her. You might even be able to help her. Tomorrow I'm going to pay Ruby a visit and see if I can lift her spirits a little."

"I'll give it a shot." Blake said. "But if things get out of hand I am not going to keep training with her."

"I already told her this is her last chance." Weiss said. "I think it'll be fine."

"I hope so." Blake grumbled. "I don't want to end up in the hospital with Ren."

* * *

There was a knock at the door. Pyrrha dragged herself out of bed and opened it. "Hello Pyrrha." Blake said. She was dressed and ready to train.

"Hello again." Pyrrha said.

"We need to talk." Blake said.

"Do we?" Pyrrha asked.

"We're going to be training together, and you put your last training partner in the hospital, so yes, we do." Blake replied. "But first you need to listen."

"Fine." Pyrrha sighed. "Come on in." Pyrrha took a seat on the edge of the bed. Blake looked around the room but there was no other place to sit. There was very little of anything really, just a few drawers to hold Pyrrha's clothes, a nightstand and an alarm clock. There was no entertainment at all. When not training Pyrrha must have just sat there thinking.

Blake took a seat on the edge of the bed beside Pyrrha. "I grew up an orphan." Blake started. "For a while I was alone. Then this other orphan, Adam, came along and took care of me like I was his sister. I loved him like a brother for it. We were adopted together and stayed close until we were teens. Then he fell in with a bad crowd and got into drugs. Crack, meth, all the worst stuff. I begged him to stop but he wouldn't. He'd changed. He wasn't himself. He thought I could be something more than his sister. I rejected him, he freaked out, finally hit me, then left. After that I didn't see him for a long time. Then one day he just shows up at my door. He's bruised, shaking, scared out of his head. He begged me for help and I...I slammed the door in his face." Blake had started crying and took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath. Pyrrha put a hand on her shoulder but Blake took it in her own. "Two days later I get a call. They wanted me to identify his body. He died of hypothermia."

"That's…" Pyrrha gasped.

"Horrible?" Blake said. "Disgusting? Unforgivable?"

"No-" 

"There's no excuse for what I did." Blake cut her off. "He needed me, I pushed him away, and he died as a result. I accept that. It took a long time and it was painful, but I accept it."

"Why are you telling me this?" Pyrrha asked.

Blake sighed, wiping away her tears. "So you won't repeat my mistakes." She said. "Please don't. You'll never forgive yourself."

Pyrrha was crying too. She knew the point of the story. She could see the similarities. The loved one losing a grip on reality, out of control and lashing out, but in desperate need of help. "I left because I was afraid of hurting Ruby." Pyrrha whined.

"I know." Blake said. They hugged one another. "But in leaving you just ensured you would."

"With what I've done, I can't go back, not now." Pyrrha wept.

"It's never too late for redemption." Blake said.


	14. Visitors

The doorbell rang and Penny walked over to answer it. Weiss stood there, a plastic container filled with cookies in hand. "Hello, I'm Weiss Schnee, a friend of Ruby." Weiss said. "You must be Nurse Polendina."

"Call me Penny." She said.

"Okay, Penny, I heard Ruby was going through a rough patch so I thought I should visit." Weiss explained.

"Ruby, your friend Weiss is here to see you!" Penny called.

"Really?!" Ruby called back. She rushed out of her art studio and into the main room. "Oh, hey Weiss I…" She was about to hug Weiss but froze.

"Uh...hi." Weiss said, a little confused. "I brought cookies." Ruby's eyes teared up but she smiled, stepped forward and embraced Weiss. "What's...what's wrong?"

"My mother and Pyrrha would always make cookies for me." Ruby replied. "Seeing them...hurts...but thank you."

"They look delicious Ms. Schnee." Penny said.

"You can call me Weiss." She said. "And they ought to be. I ordered them from the finest bakery in Vale."

"You didn't make them?" Penny said.

"There are easier ways for me to kill my friends." Weiss laughed.

Ruby released Weiss and took a step back, wiping away the remaining tears. "Come in, come in." She said, gesturing. Weiss walked in and placed the container on the coffee table, taking a seat on the couch beside Ruby and Penny. "I'm surprised you'd come visit me."

"Well...I never had many friends." Weiss admitted. "Just swinging by someone's house for a visit is a bit alien to me. But you've always been nice to me, even when I probably didn't deserve it. It's time I returned the favor."

"Thanks for coming." Ruby said. "It's nice to see you."

"So how are you doing?" Weiss asked.

"Not great." Ruby sighed. "But it could be worse I suppose. My painting is going pretty well at least."

"That's good." Weiss said. "Maybe we could paint together."

"You paint?" Ruby asked.

"Well, I'm not on the same level you are but I try." Weiss shrugged. "I find it calming."

"I usually don't like to have people in my studio with me when I paint, but if you're working on something of your own, I guess it would be okay." Ruby said. "I have an extra stand and some blank canvasses, but I don't have a stool for you."

"I could use one of the kitchen chairs." Weiss suggested.

"If you're careful not to get any paint on it." Penny said.

"I'm a very clean painter." Weiss assured her. "I don't have a dedicated room like you do, and Blake would freak if I got paint on the floor."

"Alright, sounds like a plan." Ruby said. "But let's eat some cookies first."

"Of course." Weiss said. She broke the seal on the package and popped it open. The scent of fresh cookies filled the room.

"They smell great." Penny said.

"They taste even better!" Ruby declared with half a cookie in her mouth.

* * *

"How did your visit with Ruby go?" Blake asked when Weiss got home.

"It started off a little shaky but overall it went pretty well." Weiss replied. "We watched some TV, we painted together, her nurse made us lunch, and I got to see a painting right as Ruby completed it. Something about seeing a work while the paint was still wet was really special."

"You painted?" Blake laughed. "I hope it was better than your last effort."

"Not really, but Ruby was encouraging." Weiss admitted. "She said I could do alright if I worked at it."

"Keep dreaming." Blake said.

"So, how was training with Pyrrha?" Weiss asked.

"Well, I'm not in the hospital and I don't have any broken bones, so I'd say pretty good." Blake replied. "We talked for a bit and I think I got through to her. Only time will tell if the message sinks in."

"That's good I guess." Weiss said. "Oh, and I got a call from Ren. He's out of the hospital. He's got a few cracked ribs, needed some stitches and has a mild concussion. He'll be out of training for a month at least, probably more."

"That's a shame." Blake sighed. "Nora must be furious."

"I could hear her yelling in the background." Weiss said.

"We should probably keep her away from Pyrrha." Blake said. "Yang too. We've lost enough fighters already."

"Yang's fight is a week from tomorrow so I don't think we have to worry about her." Weiss said. "She'll be too focused. As for Nora, since Ren won't be at the gym, neither will she."

"Have you noticed anything...off about Yang?" Blake asked.

"I suppose she's been a bit quiet." Weiss replied. "Peach mentioned that she wasn't as quick as usual."

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Blake confirmed.

"She's probably just worried about Ruby." Weiss shrugged. "Or she's hurt and hiding it so she won't get pulled from the fight."

"Yeah, that must be it." Blake said.

* * *

With the sunlight cutting through the gaps between curtains, Ruby decided it was time to get up. She had not slept well and still felt exhausted, but knew Penny would be unhappy if she spent too long in bed. Weiss' visit had been a pleasant surprise and solid lift to her spirits, even if she still found her situation intolerable. She headed into the adjacent bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Still groggy, she stumbled out of the bedroom and into the too brightly lit main room.

When her eyes adjusted it was all wrong. She was in a narrow tunnel with a blinding light at the far end. Closer, something moving interrupted the stream of light. As it got closer she could just make out a figure, its limbs long and spindly, almost spider-like, but humanoid in shape. Ruby screamed and turned to run back into the bedroom but when the spun around the door was gone, replaced by a solid, featureless wall. "Stay back!" Ruby yelled. She felt around the wall for a few seconds, desperately hoping to find some escape, but there was nothing.

Ruby turned and faced the approaching figure. It was almost upon her now, a lumbering mass of impenetrable darkness silhouetted against the bright light behind it. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. But there was only one of them. Maybe she could fight. Ruby lunged at the figure but seemed to slip right through it. It hissed and she could feel pressure on her neck. She tried to scream but could not as the pressure increased. She reached up and pulled at the unseen object constricting around her neck, but she could not pull it away. Her vision began to narrow and fade. Finally her world went black.

* * *

Ruby woke up in bed. Had it all been a dream? No, she could still taste the toothpaste in her mouth and her neck ached. Something had definitely happened, but the situation did not make sense. A few moments later Penny entered carrying a tray with a bowl of soup on it. "Penny...what happened?" Ruby asked. "I saw...things...and...I don't know what happened."

"You started screaming." Penny replied. "You clawed at the wall for a few seconds and I tried to get you to calm down, but you attacked me."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Ruby gasped. "It must have been another hallucination."

"It's alright." Penny said with a smile, placing the tray across Ruby's lap. "I avoided your attack and put you in a sleeper hold until you passed out. I guess I held on a little too long because you were unconscious for a bit longer than I expected."

"I'm still sorry." Ruby sighed. "I attacked someone again."

"Don't worry about it." Penny said. "You weren't in control. I understand entirely."

"I'm glad you stopped me before I did any damage or hurt you." Ruby said, shaking her head. "This is terrible. How could this have happened again?"

"Ruby, I'm here to take care of you in situations just like this." Penny said. "It's what I'm trained to do. And when you're having a bad day, I'm here to make it a little better."

"Thank you." Ruby said. She fought back the tears she had been about to shed. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She looked down. "And thanks for the soup too. This stuff is great."

"Thank you!" Penny said cheerfully. "My father taught me to make it. It always made me feel better when I was feeling down."

"It sure works." Ruby said after slurping down a spoonfull.

* * *

Ruby spent the rest of the day painting. She started another depiction of the shadow figures that often appeared in her hallucinations. This time they were not alone however. In the foreground, a tiny figure stood ready to battle against the spectral monsters. The figure was non-descript, its back to the viewer. A glowing aura of vibrant yellow pierced the darkness of the shadows around the figure. The battle still looked hopeless, but the little guy just might have a chance. After a night of better sleep Ruby went back to working on the painting, and it was nearing completion by the evening but Ruby's shoulder was aching a bit and she took a break to watch some television.

There was a knock at the door. Ruby got up and answered it. "Hey Ruby." Blake said. She was holding a small plastic bag.

"Blake!" Ruby exclaimed. She leapt into an embrace and Blake caught her.

"It's good to see you again." Blake said.

"I've missed you since I haven't been to the gym lately." Ruby said. "How's your tattoo?"

"It's healed nicely." Blake replied. "Weiss loves it."

"I bet she does _Kitty Cat_." Ruby laughed.

"Quiet you." Blake admonished. "That's confidential information."

"I'm surprised you're not wearing your ears." Ruby teased.

"Weiss thinks you'd make a cute puppy." Blake said. "She probably has some ears you could try on. Maybe even a tail."

"Uh...I think I'll pass." Ruby said, her face turning red. The tables had most definitely been turned.

"So, are we just going to stand in the hallway talking or…" Blake started.

"Oh, sorry, come on in!" Ruby said. She led Blake into the living room and took a seat on the couch.

"Who is this?" Penny asked. "Another one of your friends?"

"Penny, meet Blake, Weiss' girlfriend." Ruby said. "Blake, this is Penny, my nurse."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Penny said with a smile.

"Likewise." Blake said. "Thanks for taking care of Ruby."

"So what brings you here?" Ruby asked.

"Weiss said she had a good time with you the other day." Blake replied. "I figured we could have some fun of our own."

"As long as it doesn't involve nudity, I'm game." Ruby laughed.

"Nothing so adventurous." Blake said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a box of chocolates. "I just thought we could eat some candy and watch a few movies."

"Like a slumber party?" Ruby gasped.

"Yeah, I guess it's a bit like that." Blake shrugged. "Except I'm not 12 years old."

"I've never had a slumber party before." Penny said. "I'm so excited!"

"You poor, deprived girl." Ruby sighed. She turned back to Blake. "So, what kind of movie did you want to watch?"

"Your choice." Blake answered. "I would normally go with something more action-oriented, but I'm guessing you're the romantic comedy type."

"Well, each of us can pick a movie." Ruby suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Penny exclaimed. "I already have my pick!"

* * *

"Penny, I really didn't think I'd enjoy watching some nerdy sci-fi flick, but it was actually pretty good." Blake admitted. With Penny's choice the trio of movies had concluded. The chocolates Blake provided had long been consumed, along with a bowl of popcorn Penny had microwaved.

"Your spy movie was quite enjoyable was well." Penny said.

"You seemed to particularly enjoy the scenes where the hero was shirtless." Blake teased.

"I can't help that he had incredible abs." Penny defended herself.

"You have a thing for abs huh?" Ruby said. "I know just the guy for you. Blake, is Sun dating anyone?"

"Not that I know of." Blake replied. "This probably isn't the best time for him though, not after what Pyrrha did to his face."

"What happened?" Ruby gasped.

"Pyrrha broke his nose while they were sparring." Blake explained. "And Coach's arm. And Ren's ribs. She really messed up Ren. I mean, she absolutely lost her mind."

"It's probably my fault." Ruby sighed as tears welled in her eyes.

"No, no!" Blake said. "She's just going through some stuff…"

"Stuff because of me." Ruby cut her off. The tears began to flow. "I miss her so much."

"She misses you too." Blake said. She leaned over and put an arm around Ruby. "I think she's starting to realize what a mistake she made by leaving. When she's not training she just sits in her room in the dark. It's like some kind of self-imposed imprisonment."

"It's all my fault." Ruby sobbed.

"No, it's her fault." Blake encouraged. "She screwed up and she realized that she screwed up. At some point she'll come to her senses and come back to you."

"Do you really think so?" Ruby asked, choking back the tears.

"I'm sure of it." Blake said.

* * *

Ruby kept painting. In two days she completed the painting she had already started and finished another. It did help her feel a little better. Her latest was not the happiest, but it was not a total representation of hopelessness and despair either. Meanwhile Pyrrha kept training with Blake. When she was not training she remained in her room alone. Yang, well, no one saw much of Yang. She trained with Peach in the back of the gym but went straight home at the end of the day. Even Coco did not spent time with her. Her fight was only days away so it was understandable, but still somewhat out of character.

Ren called and asked if Ruby would like for he and Nora to come over for dinner. Ruby agreed on the condition that he do the cooking, but that was always his plan anyway. Ren decided to cook dumplings. He went to work with a little assistance from Penny while Ruby and Nora chatted. "How have you been?" Ren asked.

"Quite well." Penny replied. "How about you and Nora?"

"Pretty good." Ren answered. "She's very happy. I got beat up at the gym the other day but I'm on the mend."

Penny looked at Ren's hand. "You're married now?" Penny asked.

"Oh...yeah." Ren replied. "I'm sorry we didn't invite you to the wedding. I wanted to but Nora…"

"I'm sure she just didn't want to think about how things were back then." Penny cut him off. "I understand. It was probably the lowest point in her life."

"You still helped us so much." Ren said. "You deserved to be there."

"It's fine." Penny said with a smile. "I'm just glad I was able to help the two of you."

"Speaking of which, how are things with Ruby?" Ren asked.

"Ruby's doing much better than when I first got here." Penny explained. "She went through a very low stretch but she's on the upswing. I think she's coming to terms with her condition. The only thing to help now would be her sister and girlfriend coming back into her life."

"Yeah, that's rough." Ren sighed. "Pyrrha's the one who beat me up. She's taking this really hard. And something's up with Yang. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Ruby's condition has been hard on all of you." Penny said.

"You have no...no, you know exactly what it's like." Ren said. "Maybe better than anyone. Thanks for helping her out."

* * *

"I still want that tattoo on my other boob." Nora persisted.

Ren and Penny walked up with the finished dumplings, setting them and some drinks on the table before taking their seats. "Enjoy." Ren said.

"Do you have any idea how much work the first one was?" Ruby asked. "I don't think I could handle tattooing your other breast."

"Other breast?" Penny said.

"Yeah, look!" Nora exclaimed. She lifted her shirt and bra, revealing a complex tattoo consisting of runic and geometric symbols that started as a full sleeve and continued to cover her left breast and part of her back. "Isn't it awesome?!"

Penny did a spit-take. "Oh...uh...yeah." She managed to say.

"Nora, keep your shirt on." Ren said. "We're guests."

"Sorry." Nora said, readjusting her attire. "So Penny, do you have any tattoos?"

"Heavens no!" Penny gasped.

"You should really get one." Nora suggested. "Ruby's a great artist."

"Your skin tone's not too different from Nora's." Ruby said. "Maybe I could...could…" Her constant headache spiked and her vision blurred. When she looked up her eyes were unfocused. She gasped in fear and recoiled in her chair.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Penny asked.

Ruby looked as if she were about to scream but said nothing. Nora waved her hand in front of Ruby but she did not react. Nora tilted her head. "Oh...I get it." She said. "This is like what happened to me before I took my medicine!" Ren and Penny stared at Nora as she shifted her chair closer to Ruby. "I know exactly what to do." Ruby tried to push her chair away but Nora grabbed her by the shoulders and held her still.

"Nora, you shouldn't…" Penny started.

"Ruby, listen to me." Nora said at nearly a shout. "Look at me. Tell me what you see." He speech was loud and slow, and she kept her eyes locked on Ruby's the whole time, even as Ruby tried to pull away, shaking with fear.

"I see a huge flower…" Ruby said, pointing at Penny.

"That's Penny!" Nora exclaimed.

"And a bear is grabbing me…" Ruby said, her eyes wide with terror.

"That's just me." Nora said.

"And there's a man on fire." Ruby finished.

"I guess that's Ren." Nora said. "Okay, what are you feeling?"

"I'm...I'm really scared." Ruby said. "The bear is really scary."

"Okay, close your eyes and imagine the bear is a sloth." Nora commanded.

"I...I...I don't know…" Ruby stammered.

"Just do it!" Nora ordered.

"O...Okay." Ruby said. She closed her eyes.

"Now open!" Nora said.

Ruby opened her eyes and locked onto Nora. "Oh my God, the bear is a sloth now." Ruby gasped.

"Good, but you're still shaking." Nora said.

"The man on fire is scaring me too." Ruby said.

"Okay, do the same thing with him." Nora suggested. "Imagine he's a sloth too."

Ruby closed her eyes and opened them again. "Now...now there's two sloths!" Ruby exclaimed. "They're so cute!"

"I always wanted to be a sloth." Ren mused.

"And that's why I love you." Nora said.

"I thought you loved me for my…" Ren started.

"That too, but I'm not done here." Nora cut him off. "Ruby, is it still scary?"

"Not really." Ruby replied. "It's just really weird."

"Good!" Nora cheered. "Just say if anything changes."

"Okay." Ruby said. She stopped shaking. "I can handle this."

"This is a very good thing." Nora said with a satisfied smile.

"Why am I a flower?" Penny asked.

"Flowers are cute, pretty and smell nice, just like you!" Nora answered.

"What kind am I?" Penny asked. "Am I pretty?"

"You're a...pink carnation." Ruby said. "The prettiest!"

"Aw...thank you!" Penny said with a big smile.

Ruby blinked rapidly for a few seconds and her eyes briefly became unfocused again. "Everything's...back to normal." She said.

"See, not so bad." Nora said.

"Wow, that was...Nora, how did you do that?" Ruby asked.

"Well, I've been there before." Nora replied with a shrug. "I just did what was helpful for me. It might not work every time, but it's worth a shot."

"Nora, that was incredible." Penny said. "It's like you cut straight through her hallucination."

"I just remember Ren talking me through a hallucination once." Nora said. "It didn't fix everything but it helped a lot."

"This is really good." Penny said. "This is something we can use for Ruby."

"Yeah, it was much better than what normally happens." Ruby said. "Your voice was all distorted, but I could just barely understand what you were saying. Once I tried to take control I was able to change it, even if I couldn't stop it." Ruby hugged Nora tightly. "Thank you so much!"

"Aw, this makes me so happy!" Nora exclaimed.

"I am a little hungry though." Ruby said.

"You too?" Nora asked. "I always got the munchies after I saw stuff. Good thing master chef Ren is here!"


	15. Flame

After a few days and even more paintings it was Saturday, the night of Yang's fight. Ren and Nora came over to watch with Ruby and Penny. Blake and Weiss had gone to Vytal for the fight, along with Doc, Coach and Peach. Pyrrha was the only other healthy fighter remaining, but everyone involved agreed that putting her in close contact with Yang would be a bad idea given the circumstances. Ren had invited her to watch the fight with Ruby, hoping the offer might be an opening for her to return more permanently, but Pyrrha had refused. All she had done was apologize profusely to Ren for beating him up. Ren tried to have a conversation but Pyrrha was not interested. For Ruby, watching the fights was just another reminder of Pyrrha and the fact that she was no longer there for her.

* * *

"You're losing." Coach said. "You need to finish her."

Peach poured some water into Yang's mouth while Doc tended to a bad cut above her eye. Yang felt awful. Arslan Atlan, the champion, had spent four rounds picking her apart, and Yang could find no answers. She had never been so badly beaten, and never even been cut before. Now her left eye was basically useless as blood poured in from her eyebrow and obscured her vision. That was not her only injury either. Repeated body blows had left her with what she suspected was a broken rib, and her legs were both aching from repeated kicks.

Arslan was too quick, or more correctly, Yang was too slow. Arslan's strikes were not necessarily that hard, but they came in thick and fast and Yang was helpless to stop them. When she tried to launch any assault of her own, Arslan easily got out of the way. Before the fight Yang had identified Arslan's weakness as her ground game, but it hardly mattered. Yang simply could not take her down. Whenever Yang shot for a takedown Arslan blocked the effort and ended up in a dominant position. After almost getting submitted in such circumstances twice Yang stopped attempting takedowns altogether. Now she had five minutes to knock Arslan out or make her submit. Yang felt exhausted but across the ring Arslan looked fresh. Yang knew in her heart it was over. She spit out the water. It was time for the final round.

As the referee called for the round to start Yang and Arslan walked to the center of the cage and touched gloves. Yang may have been angry and frustrated, but she still had tremendous respect for her opponent. They traded blows for a while. Yang noticed that contrary to her appearance, Arslan was tired, her attacks now slower and less powerful. She was still fast enough to avoid Yang's strikes though. Those Yang landed were at best glancing blows. With 30 seconds remaining in the fight Yang pressed forward. There was no sense in saving energy now. Yang uncorked a hard right but Arslan jumped back, then kicked Yang's lead leg hard.

After a night of punishment, Yang's leg buckled. She dropped to a knee. Arslan saw a chance and attacked aggressively, diving at Yang in hopes of getting on top of her. Yang saw her chance too. Arslan's move was a reckless one. Yang bucked backwards as Arslan made contact, and both rolled. There was just enough momentum to flip them over and Yang landed on top. Arslan was shocked and seemed disoriented. Yang started pounding away at her head as Arslan desperately tried to cover up from the flurry of strikes. The referee moved in, taking a close look to see if he should stop the fight. It looked like he was about to. Then the horn sounded. Time had run out.

* * *

"I can't believe it." Ren sighed. "I never thought I'd see her lose, except maybe to Pyrrha if they ever fought."

"She could still win a decision." Ruby said, hoping against hope.

"If the judges are terrible." Nora said. She paused for a second. "Sorry."

"No, you're right." Ruby groaned. "She got her ass kicked."

"Another 10 seconds and she would have won though." Penny suggested.

"It doesn't matter." Ruby said, beginning to tear up. "I just...I feel like this is my fault."

* * *

Yang and Arslan stood on either side of the referee in the center of the ring. "After five rounds, we go to the judges scorecards for a decision." The ring announcer said. "The judges score the fight 48-46, 48-47 and 49-46 for the winner by unanimous decision and...still VFC Lightweight Champion...Arslan Atlan!" The referee raised Arslan's hand and the belt was strapped around her waist. Yang shook her hand and walked out. And there it was. Yang's big shot and she had blown it. She wanted to go home, probably get something to drink, but Doc insisted she go to the hospital. If nothing else the cut above her eye would require stitches, and the damage to her legs and chest were visible from the considerable bruising. She needed to be checked to be sure there was not serious damage.

* * *

"She didn't even stick around for an interview." Ruby sighed. "She must be so depressed. This was supposed to be her big night."

"She'll bounce back." Ren encouraged. "Yang's a great fighter. She'll get another shot."

"I still feel like it's my fault." Ruby groaned. "If she wasn't so distracted by my condition…"

"Ruby, that's no way to think." Penny cut her off. "If you keep going down that track you'll end up back where you were when I first got here."

"You're right." Ruby said. "I can't blame myself. Who knows? Yang might have been hiding an injury or something. Maybe she was just out partying too late last night."

"That's better." Ren said.

Ruby nodded and managed a smile. "Thanks for being here for me." She said. "You too Nora."

"The pleasure is ours." Ren said. "But now we should be taking our leave."

"Oh, wait." Nora said. "Penny, can I talk to you...alone?"

"Sure, of course." Penny replied. She directed Nora toward the bedroom then followed her in.

Nora sat on the edge of the bed and Penny joined her. "It's been a while." Nora said, her characteristic cheerfulness nowhere to be found.

"You got married." Penny said.

"Yeah, we did." Nora smiled, looking at the ring. "It was the happiest day of my life." She sighed. "I'm sorry you weren't there."

"It's okay Nora." Penny said.

"No, it's not okay." Nora groaned. "You took care of me, you helped me when Ren couldn't. It's because of you that I can live my life without breaking down and hurting myself by accident." She started to cry, turned and hugged Penny. The embrace was firm, but not nearly as crushing as Nora usually was. "I'm sorry I didn't say thanks. I'm sorry I didn't stay in contact. And I'm sorry I didn't invite you to my wedding. You would have been an awesome flower girl."

"It's okay, really." Penny insisted. "It was a tough time. You didn't mean anything by it. I forgive you."

Nora released Penny and used her arm to wipe away her tears. "Thank you." Nora said. "You know, you should seriously get a tattoo. They're great fun! Ruby's amazing."

"I'll...think about it." Penny said. "But for now we shouldn't keep Ren waiting."

* * *

It was Sunday night before Yang finally got home. The trip to the hospital had shown some ligament damage in her left leg and a cracked rib, and the doctors wanted to get that sorted out before releasing her. When she finally got to her apartment building Yang was tired, in pain, and hoping to have a good stiff drink. As she approached her apartment she spotted someone waiting outside the door. Yang recognized the woman, black-haired and middle-aged. It would have been impossible for her not to given how they looked nearly identical besides the difference in hair and age. It was obviously her estranged mother, Raven.

"I saw your fight." Raven said. "You didn't look like…"

"No." Yang said. She pushed past Raven, unlocked the door and slipped inside, before slamming the door behind her.

"Yang please." Raven said through the door. She knocked repeatedly.

Yang decided Raven was not going to leave without some encouragement. She walked back and opened the door. "What makes you think you can just walk back into my life, now of all times?" Yang seethed. "You made your choice when you abandoned me. Leave me alone."

"Yang, wait." Raven implored. "I came because I saw that you need help. You weren't yourself in that fight. Please, let me help you." She took a step forward.

"You're about ten years too late!" Yang screamed. She slammed the door shut. Raven tried to back up but was not fast enough, catching the heavy metal door in the face.

* * *

Yang had sent Coco a text to let her know she was back in Vale. Coco decided she needed to see Yang. They had not seen each other for about a week. Coco could tell something was wrong and knew now was the time when Yang would need her most. As she walked through the lobby of Yang's apartment building, she spotted a black-haired woman covering her face with her hand as blood streamed out of her nose. It was a disturbing sight but Coco ignored it, deciding to focus on Yang instead. She took the elevator straight up and knocked on Yang's door.

"I thought I made myself pretty clear…" Yang started as she opened the door. "Oh...Coco...hey."

"Hey yourself." Coco said. "Can I come in?"

"I'd rather you didn't." Yang said.

"Please." Coco pressed.

"Fine." Yang relented. She walked back into her apartment and sat at the kitchen counter where she immediately began drinking whiskey, straight from the bottle.

Coco looked around the apartment. She had not been there in weeks. Empty liquor bottles and other assorted garbage were scattered everywhere. Dishes were piled in the sink. Laundry was strewn across the floor. "My God Yang." Coco gasped. "What's happened to you?"

"What's happened to me?" Yang said. "Life. That's what happened."

"Yang, stop drinking." Coco demanded. She pulled the bottle away before Yang could get a grip on it. "What are you doing to yourself?"

Yang stood and walked up to Coco, getting in her face. "I'm doing what I have to." Yang replied. "Drinking is the only way I can stay sane."

"Yang, you need help." Coco said. "First you need to cut it out with the booze. Let me help you."

"You were talking to her, weren't you?!" Yang accused. "You're on her side aren't you?!" She balled her fists and took a step back. "Well you can both fuck off!" Yang punched at Coco. Coco closed her eyes but did not flinch, waiting for a blow that never came. When Coco opened her eyes Yang's fist was inches from her face. The color drained from Yang's face. "Oh God...Coco...I…" Yang staggered back until she bumped into the counter. "I...I almost...I…" Tears began to well in her eyes. "I have to go!" Yang grabbed her motorcycle helmet and rushed out the door.

"Yang wait!" Coco called after her, but Yang was already gone.

* * *

Yang got on her bike and rode off into the night. She did not know where she was going, just away. She was a professional fighter, her fists were her weapons, and she had almost unleashed those weapons on her girlfriend. How had she fallen so far? How much farther would she go? She rode faster, heading out of the city and into the hills, darting around cars with reckless abandon. It used to be that when she had a problem she would face it. Now she was running away as fast as she could go.

Yang was briefly blinded by the headlights of an oncoming car. She turned her head away from the glare. When she looked back a corner was approaching, and a sharp one at that. She braked hard, too hard, and the bike began to wobble. There was no way she was getting it slowed in time. Yang laid the bike down and slid along the pavement. The bike careened off the road, struck the armco barrier and disintegrated. Yang slid to a stop just short of the barrier. She lay flat on her back in the grass on the outside of the corner. Her helmet had probably saved her life, and her fashionable leather pants had saved her legs, but her left arm was shredded after scraping along the tarmac.

A car pulled up, it's headlights illuminating her. The driver stepped out. "Oh my God!" He exclaimed. "Are you alright?!"

Yang slipped off her helmet and looked at her arm. The dragon tattooed on it had lost most of its head as the road ground her skin off. "My arm's just fucked up." Yang replied. "Can you drive me to a hospital?"

* * *

Coco's phone rang. It was Yang. "Yang." Coco said.

"Uh...hey Coco." Yang said.

"Where are you?" Coco asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"I'm at the hospital." Yang replied. "Listen, I…"

"Which one?" Coco asked.

"Vale Central." Yang answered. "Listen, I…"

"I'm coming." Coco said. "Don't move."

"Coco…" Yang started, but Coco hung up.

After a short wait Coco power-walked in. Given the time it would take to get there she must have been driving almost as fast as Yang. "Coco, I'm fine." Yang said as Coco entered the room. Yang's arm was thickly wrapped with bandages but blood still seeped to the surface. "Just some scrapes and bruises. Listen…"

"Shut up Yang." Coco commanded. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You run off and don't take my calls, and crash your bike you stupid, bloody, idiot! Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"I...I'm so sorry Coco." Yang said as tears filled her eyes. "I just...I almost hit you and I was...I didn't want to hurt you. I had to get away. I'm sorry...so sorry." She broke down sobbing.

Coco pulled Yang into a hug. "Only you could crash your bike and be more cut up about our little spat." Coco sighed. "We had a fight. You nearly crossed a line, and yes, that was scary, but you're not yourself. You've been going through a lot of shit, the alcohol has been messing with your brain, and between Ruby and your fight and me it made you snap. I don't blame you for this, but things are going to change from now on. Look at me."

Yang pulled herself away and wiped away her tears. "O-okay." She stammered.

"You are getting sober, starting now." Coco said. "No AA yet, but I'm going to keep an eye on you. You'll clean yourself up, and we'll start making things right, together. Understand?"

"Uh huh." Yang nodded.

"Good." Coco said, crossing her arms and smiling.

"I don't deserve you Coco." Yang said.

"Damn right you don't, but you're stuck with me." Coco laughed. "Because I love you too God damn much to give up."

"I...I…" Yang struggled. "I love you too Coco."

* * *

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Coco asked. She sat behind the wheel of her car, now parked outside Ruby's apartment. Yang had spent the night in the hospital and been discharged around midday.

"No...I need to do this on my own." Yang replied. She got out. "Thanks, for everything." Coco just nodded. Yang entered the building and made her way upstairs. She paused outside the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"I've got it!" Ruby yelled inside. Yang could her footfalls approaching and soon the door swung open. "Yang!" Ruby exclaimed as she hugged her sister.

"Whoa...a little tight." Yang groaned. "Busted rib."

"Oh, sorry." Ruby said, backing off. "Come in!"

"Sure." Yang said. She followed Ruby in and sat down on the couch beside her.

"Who is it?" Penny asked, approaching from the kitchen.

"My sister Yang." Ruby answered. "Penny, Yang. Yang, Penny. Penny's been taking care of me since...since Pyrrha left."

"Well, you two probably want some privacy, so I'll go do a little cleaning in the other room." Penny said before heading off.

"I like her already." Yang said.

"She's pretty great." Ruby confirmed. "I'm lucky to have her."

"You shouldn't need her." Yang sighed. "I should be here for you. I promised mom I would be. Dad trusted me too. But when you needed me most I fell apart and only made your life worse."

"Yang..." Ruby said. "You can't be perfect. No one can."

"Yeah, but when it comes to helping you I should be." Yang said.

"You've always done everything you could." Ruby said.

"I really blew it this time though." Yang said. "I...I...Pyrrha...she came to me...before she left. She wanted help, advice, anything. I had nothing for her. I was too drunk to do anything useful. If I'd kept myself together...she wouldn't have left."

"Yang, some things _should_ happen, some thing _shouldn't_ happen, but these things _did_ happen." Ruby said. "There's no sense dwelling on it. We just have to deal with it. I don't blame you. If anyone, I blame myself."

"Ruby you can't...please don't blame yourself." Yang wept. "I just want you to be happy. Anything that happens to me or anyone else, that's on us, not you. Please just be happy."

"I'll try." Ruby said. "But it's really hard. I feel like you lost your fight because of me."

"I lost my fight because I'm an idiot and I couldn't ask for help with my problems like a normal person." Yang countered. "I decided I had to do everything on my own and the best solution I could come up with was to drink the pain away. If I'd just talked to someone instead of being a stubborn asshole, I would have been fine, and I would have kicked Arslan's ass."

"I guess…" Ruby sighed. "Well, enough about me. What happened to your arm?"

"Oh...uh...yeah…" Yang groaned. "Sorry for ruining your tattoo."

"I'm not worried about the tattoo." Ruby said. "I'm worried about you. What happened?"

"I crashed my bike last night." Yang replied. "I got into a fight with Coco and ran off like a jerk. It'll be fine, just a flesh wound."

"Good thing I remember how your tattoo is supposed to look." Ruby said. "I'll be able to fix it right up."

"Yeah...once the skin grows back." Yang said with an uneasy laugh. "Well, I should probably get going."

"You're leaving already?" Ruby asked.

"For now." Yang answered. "You're just the first person I needed to talk to."

"Pyrrha?" Ruby suggested.

"Yep." Yang confirmed.

"What are you going to do to her?" Ruby asked.

"I'm only planning to beat her up a little." Yang said with a smirk.

"I'd prefer it if you just talked her into coming back." Ruby said.

"Why can't it be both?" Yang asked. "So yeah, I'll see you for dinner. If that's alright of course."

"I'd love it!" Ruby squealed. "And Penny's an awesome cook. It'll be great!"

* * *

There was a knock at Pyrrha's door. She figured it was probably Blake, back from Vytal and eager to train. When she opened the door she was shocked to see Yang. "Y-Yang-" Pyrrha gasped.

"Get dressed and get in the ring, now." Yang demanded.

"But you're hurt-" Pyrrha started.

"We'll spar there or in your room." Yang said. "Your choice."

Pyrrha reluctantly suited up and met Yang in the ring. With all her recent injuries Yang was in no fighting shape. "I can't fight you." Pyrrha said. "Not while you're in that condition."

"I'm going to fight you regardless." Yang declared. She stepped forward and punched Pyrrha in the face. It was not a hard strike for Yang, but Pyrrha felt it for sure. "You can be a punching bag or you can punch back."

"I…I-" Pyrrha stammered.

Yang punched her again. "You took out every other fighter in the gym." Yang said. "Take me out next."

"Yang-" Pyrrha said. Another punch, this time blocked. "Fine." Pyrrha punched at Yang, but it was slow and telegraphed. Her heart was not in it and it showed.

Yang caught Pyrrha's arm and twisted her to the ground, all to minimal resistance. In no time she had Pyrrha's back. Yang fought for a rear-naked-choke as Pyrrha tried to stop her. "You're better than them." Yang said. "You hurt them because it makes you feel good. It feels better to hurt someone who _can_ fight back after you've hurt someone who _can't_. It makes you feel strong, and physically you are, but deep down you're weak. You're so weak you left Ruby, the woman you supposedly loved, my sister. Did she ever really mean anything to you? Are you going to fucking defend yourself?!"

Pyrrha tried to thrash her way out of Yang's grip and started to cry. "I love her more than anything!" She sobbed. "Her suffering was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. _She was so scared_ and I hurt her because of it. I couldn't stay, I had to leave, even if part of me never could. She needed someone strong, someone who _understood_ , someone who wouldn't hurt her again. I couldn't be that for her, no matter how hard I tried." Pyrrha realized that Yang's attempts to lock in a hold had transformed into an embrace. She stopped struggling and just sobbed in Yang's arms. "I wasn't strong enough... _I wasn't strong enough_."

"Shh...it's alright." Yang soothed. "I know, I know. I'm sorry I had to say those things, but I had too, you had to face what you're feeling. Now don't you see? You still love Ruby and she still loves you."

"But I've caused her so much pain." Pyrrha wept. "How can I go back now? It wouldn't be right."

"It's not too late." Yang said. "It's never too late for love. Can't you see that? Go back to her."

"I...I..." Pyrrha stuttered. "I'm so sorry..."


	16. Second Chances

Ruby and Penny relaxed on the couch, watching television. Penny jumped as an explosion flashed on the screen. "I feel like half of these experiments are just an excuse to blow things up." She observed.

"That's the beauty of it." Ruby explained. "It's educational _and exciting_."

Two sharp knocks on the door drew their attention. "Yang's back already?" Penny said.

"I'll get it." Ruby said. She hopped up and walked to the door but was not prepared for who greeted her. There stood Pyrrha, seemingly frozen in place with her fist still raised as if knocking.

"Ru-Ruby" Pyrrha gasped.

" _Pyrrha!_ " Ruby exclaimed. She wrapped Pyrrha in as tight an embrace as she could manage. Pyrrha groaned as Ruby squeezed tighter than even Nora. "You're back!"

"Y-yes." Pyrrha said. "I...I'm so sorry Ruby. I just...I didn't know what to do and...and _God I've missed you_."

"I missed you too." Ruby said. " _Please_ , please come in." She practically dragged Pyrrha inside, Penny helpfully closing the door behind them.

"I was just...I was so afraid." Pyrrha wept. "I hurt you and I...I...was afraid I'd hurt you again. But when I left I hurt you anyway, worse than anything I could have done physically. I left when you needed me most and...I'm so sorry. You deserve better."

"Just don't leave ever again...please." Ruby said.

"I won't." Pyrrha said. "Not again, not ever. I promise. I'm sorry I ever-"

Ruby grabbed Pyrrha by the collar, pulling her down into a passionate kiss. It became increasingly heated as they went on. Penny cleared her throat and the pair jumped apart. "Oh...Penny...right." Ruby said.

"I think we should move to the bedroom." Pyrrha suggested.

" _Fine._ " Ruby sighed.

"Sorry for ignoring you Penny." Pyrrha said. "Thank you for taking care of Ruby." Penny smiled and nodded. "We're just going to go to the bedroom and...and…"

"Have sex." Penny finished for her.

"Yes, that." Pyrrha nodded, blushing.

Penny waved awkwardly as the pair made their way out of the main room. "I hope these walls are soundproof." She said before waiting a few seconds. "Oh my…"

* * *

Penny sat on the couch with her hands folded on her lap, the television volume turned all the way up. There was a knock at the door, just barely audible over the TV. Penny took a deep breath, stood and answered the door. "Hello Yang!" She said cheerfully.

"Hey Penny." Yang said. Coco stood behind her holding a bag. "We brought dinner."

"Oh thank God you're here!" Penny's cheerful and calm facade crumbled in an instant. "Since Pyrrha got here...she and Ruby...they've been...the walls are so thin... _I can hear everything!_ "

"Well, as much as I hate to end their fun we should eat this food while it's hot." Yang said. She walked over to the bedroom door with a smirk on her face. She laughed to herself, then threw the door open. "Dinner time you two!" Her grand entrance was followed by screaming that soon turned to angry shouting, all accompanied by Yang's hysterical laughter. Yang backed out looking very pleased with herself. "They'll have a minute to get dressed while we unpack this stuff."

Yang and Coco made their way to the dining table and started laying out the food as Penny brought over some plates and utensils. It was take-out, traditional Mistrali, but good stuff. And what better way to celebrate Pyrrha's return than with food from her native Mistral? By the time everything was arranged Pyrrha and Ruby had emerged from the bedroom. Their hair was chaotic and their faces flushed, but their facial expressions were pure anger. That anger quickly melted away as they gathered around the table.

"It's been a long time since we've had a family dinner like this." Ruby observed. "Way too long."

"Family…" Pyrrha sighed. "I don't think I deserve the title."

"Of course you do." Yang cut in. "Sure, you fucked up, but everyone fucks up, what matters is you realized you fucked up and here you are. And you only messed up in the first place trying to do the right thing. Ruby and I forgive you, and that's what really matters."

"Yeah...I guess." Pyrrha said.

"What about Coco?" Ruby asked. "Are you two more than just fuck-buddies now?"

"If she didn't love me she would have left a while ago." Yang replied. "Hell, she _should have,_  but she stuck with me, and she's helping me get my life back together. I'd say that qualifies her as family."

"I'll have to tattoo you." Ruby said, pointing her fork at Coco.

"Oh, I heard about this." Coco said with barely contained excitement. "Can I get a dragon?!"

"A big one, all across your back." Yang suggested.

"Sweet!" Coco exclaimed.

"It'll be painful." Ruby warned.

"Just like the real thing." Coco joked.

"Am I...am I part of the family?" Penny asked.

"Of course!" Ruby enthused. "You took care of me in my time of need."

"It's just my job." Penny said.

"Nonsense!" Ruby said. "Pyrrha might be paying you, but you've gone above and beyond. You've been more than a nurse. You've been emotional support, you helped me turn things around. Of course you're part of the family!"

"That's wonderful." Penny said with a smile. "I could do without the tattoo though."

"Eh, they're not for everyone." Ruby shrugged.

"I need some touch-ups on mine." Yang said. "I've been thinking of a few modifications too. I feel like I'm a new person since I got it, and my ink should reflect that."

"No problem." Ruby said. "Just tell me what you want."

"I have to wait for my arm to heal first." Yang said.

"Speaking of tattoos…" Pyrrha started. She trailed off and took a deep breath. "Could I...could you...give me a new one."

"Sure." Ruby said. "What do you want?"

"A rose." Pyrrha replied. "Like the one you and Yang have."

"You realise what that means?" Yang asked.

"I...I do." Pyrrha confirmed. "It's a commitment." She looked Ruby in the eyes. "I'm not leaving again. Not ever. No matter what."

As Ruby and Pyrrha tearfully embraced, Yang almost shed a few tears of her own. "It's great, isn't it Coco?" She asked.

"Yeah...sure." Coco groaned. "It's like I'm watching one of those sappy romance movies you love so much."

* * *

Coco dropped Yang off. The place was one of those cheap chain hotels. It made sense. Yang walked into the lobby and up to the reception desk. "Hi, I'm looking for Raven Branwen." Yang said.

"And you are?" The clerk asked.

"Her daughter." Yang replied. "I called earlier and was told she's staying here."

"Oh, hello Yang." A second person walked up to the counter, edging the clerk aside. "I talked with you on the phone." She reached over the counter and shook Yang's hand. "Your mother's staying in 202."

"Thanks." Yang said. She handed the woman a 5 lien card and walked off.

Yang took the elevator to the second floor, then walked down to the end. Room 202. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. She could hear stirring inside. "Just a second." Raven said as Yang knocked again. Raven opened the door. Her eyes went wide and she gasped when she saw Yang.

"Hello Raven." Yang said. "Can I come in?"

"Yang...sure." Raven replied, waving Yang in. It looked like Raven had been packing up, preparing to leave. "I'm sorry for bothering-"

"No, I should be the one apologizing." Yang cut her off. "I lost my cool, yelled at you, and smashed a door in your face. You were just trying to help me."

"I should still apologize...for all the years." Raven sighed.

"Yes, you should." Yang said. "But an apology isn't going to cut it for that."

"I know." Raven said, her eyes downcast. "What I did to you...to Tai...it's unforgivable."

"Maybe, maybe not." Yang shrugged. "I didn't come here to talk about the past. I came here to apologize, and to thank you."

"Thank me?" Raven questioned, confused.

"Yes, thank you." Yang confirmed. "It happened in kind of a roundabout way, but you helped me get my life back together." Raven stood there speechless, her mouth agape. "I was drinking too much, pushing people away, basically self-destructing. Then, you pushed me over the edge. I freaked out at my girlfriend, ran away on my motorcycle and…" She looked at her bandaged arm. "Well, it was a wake-up call. Now I'm sober, and I'm committed to keeping it that way. And all it cost me was a fight and a little skin."

"I...I'm glad to hear that." Raven said. "I'm sorry you had to tear up your arm."

"It's alright." Yang said. "I just need to have my tattoo retouched when it's healed. No serious damage."

"I noticed one of your tattoos watching you fight." Raven said. "One on your back. Your top partly covered it so I couldn't really tell what it was. A crow?"

"A Raven." Yang corrected her. "It was supposed to be small but Ruby kind of went nuts with it. Still, it's meant to represent you. You may never have been there for me, but you're still my mother."

"Oh...that's...touching..." Raven sighed. "I shouldn't have left. I-"

"If you hadn't left Ruby would never have been born." Yang cut in. "Still, it would have been nice if you came back once Summer died. You know, before dad killed himself."

"I know, there's a trail of destruction in my wake." Raven said with tears in her eyes. "I screwed up your life, Tai's, Summer's, Qrow's…"

"Qrow's?" Yang asked.

"Never mind." Raven said. "How's Ruby been?" She quickly changed the subject.

"The day of my fight in Atlas...she was shot...in the head." Yang said, staring off into the distance.

"Oh my God." Raven gasped. "Is she-"

"No, she's alive." Yang said. "She's not in great shape though: headaches, memory loss, hallucinations, the kind of stuff you'd expect when someone's suffered a brain injury."

"You couldn't have taken it well." Raven observed.

"No, no I didn't." Yang confirmed. "That's what started me drinking."

"I'm sorry." Raven said, again.

"Yeah…" Yang sighed. "So why did you leave?"

"Fear mostly." Raven replied. "I was afraid I'd screw you up. I was depressed too, and I had...thoughts...that terrified me. So I ran, like the coward I am."

"But why not come back?" Yang pressed.

"By the time I got my shit together Summer was dead, and I didn't dare come back." Raven answered. "I couldn't, not after all the pain I'd caused. The same goes for when Tai died. I only showed up when I did because when I saw you in that fight...your face...that pain...I saw myself. I didn't want you to end up like me."

"I guess you're planning on heading home." Yang said. "Where is home for you right now?"

"Patch." Raven said. "Returning to the scene of the crime I guess. I've been living in hotels."

"Where did you get the money?" Yang asked.

"Tai...that wasn't my last failed marriage." Raven admitted. "I married a rich guy. When we divorced I got half his stuff. I guess that makes me half rich." She forced a laugh. "The divorce was my fault too. He's just another broken life I left in my wake."

"Why don't you stick around?" Yang suggested.

"What?" Raven asked. "Why?"

"I want to give you a chance to make things right." Yang explained. "I don't forgive you yet, and Ruby sure as hell doesn't, but maybe one day. You deserve the opportunity at least."

"I don't deserve anything." Raven groaned. "Not after what I've done." She looked up into Yang's caring eyes. "But I guess I would like to meet Summer's daughter."

"That's the spirit." Yang said with a smile. "Do you need a place to stay or…"

"I can handle that." Raven cut her off. "Thank you Yang, for giving me another chance."

* * *

The days slipped by and and while things were not perfect for Ruby, they were better. Pyrrha and Penny managed to talk her through one hallucination as Nora had shown them, but in another they could not reach her. She was not violent but it resulted in Ruby curling up in a ball on the floor to cry until it passed. Still, Pyrrha was there to comfort her when it was over, and Penny had soup at the ready. Ruby reached the point where she felt she could almost live with her present condition.

After a day of training Pyrrha and Yang arrived at the apartment. Coco was taking some time off from work to help Yang, so she came along as well. Ruby and Penny were making cookies in the kitchen. Judging from the absence of an apocalyptic mess, Pyrrha guessed that Penny was doing most of the work. "Hi Ruby, how was your day?" Pyrrha asked.

"Pretty good." Ruby replied, not looking up from the oven as the cookies baked. "I did some painting, then Penny offered to help me make some cookies. They're almost done."

"Hey sis." Yang said.

"Oh, Yang." Ruby said. She stood up straight and spun around. "And Coco. What are you guys doing here?"

"Coco wanted to discuss the tattoo you'll be giving her, and I have something I need to talk to you about." Yang answered. "Could we just step into the bedroom for a minute so we can talk in private?"

"Sure...uh…" Ruby said. "Penny, can you handle the cookies?"

"Of course." Penny said with a smile.

Ruby and Yang ducked into the bedroom and Yang closed the door behind them. "So what's this about?" Ruby asked. "Not bad news I hope."

"No, it's good news actually." Yang said. "You know how I told you my mother showed up?" Ruby nodded. "Well, she wants to meet you."

"No." Ruby said. "I don't want anything to do with her. Not after what she did to dad, what she did to you."

"Ruby, if she hadn't left you'd never have been born." Yang pointed out.

"I don't care." Ruby said. "If she hadn't left, I may never have been born, but dad would be alive and you'd both be happy."

"What if's aren't going to get us anywhere." Yang said. "Raven wants to make amends. She knows she fucked up and she wants to try to make it right."

"I'd say she's about ten years too late." Ruby said.

"Maybe, but I'm giving her one more chance." Yang said. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"And if she screws up again?" Ruby pressed.

"I've gone my whole life without her." Yang shrugged. "It won't be too hard to cut her out again."

"Just leave me out of it." Ruby said. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it." Yang replied. "You should probably talk to Coco now. She's really excited about the whole tattoo thing."

Ruby went straight from her conversation with Yang to one with Coco. "Yang told me you're really looking forward to the tattoo." Ruby said.

"I am." Coco confirmed. "I even sketched out my idea." Coco reached into her bag and produced a folded paper. It appeared to be some sort of template to design clothes, but instead of clothing being drawn around the human form in the center, a dragon was sketched in the center of the back.

Ruby looked the paper over for a few seconds. "I can do something like this." She said. "I hope you don't mind if it's not exactly the same."

"Hey, you're the artist." Coco shrugged. "I just want to give you an idea of what I'm looking for."

"Good." Ruby said. "So, when do you want me to do this? I could do it right now if you want. I closed up the tattoo parlor so I have all my equipment in my studio."

Suddenly Coco seemed reluctant. "Uh...maybe another time." She said. "I feel like this is something I need to mentally prepare for. I would like to see the equipment if you don't mind though. I'm just a bit curious."

"Sure, follow me." Ruby said. She headed into her studio with Coco in tow. Yang and Pyrrha followed as well. She pointed to a padded table. "You'll take your top off and lie face-down on that while I work. Something this big and elaborate will probably take a few hours."

"I can live with that." Coco said. "What about the actual needle?"

"Ah yes, the infamous needle." Ruby said with a smirk. She took a case out from under the table and laid it on top. She popped it open and pulled out what looked like a mechanical pen. With the flip of a switch and press of a button it emitted a buzzing sound and the needle at its tip shot back and forth. Ruby turned it off and handed it to Coco.

"It's not as bad as I thought." Coco said, looking the tool over.

"Yeah, it kind of stings but it isn't too painful." Ruby said. "A few parts of your back will be more sensitive than others though."

"Nothing I can't handle." Coco declared. "Yang could tell you."

"I don't even want to know." Ruby shuddered. "So, anything else?"

"Not really." Coco replied. She looked around the room. "Wow, you've got a lot of paintings in here."

"Yeah." Ruby shrugged. "I've been painting a lot lately."

"These are really good." Coco said, walking up to a line of Ruby's more recent pieces.

"I painted all of those recently." Ruby explained. "Penny suggested that I paint my hallucinations, or how I was feeling, and that's what came out."

"The portrait of Pyrrha is quite good, and the one you did of Yang not too long ago was amazing, but these are incredible." Coco said, getting up close to the art to see it in all it's detail.

"Thanks." Ruby said. "I guess they're pretty good."

"They're better than pretty good." Coco assured her. "Have you ever considered putting your art on public display?"

"Not really." Ruby answered. "I never really thought it was good enough."

"You need to be more confident in yourself." Coco said. "Some of these are masterpieces."

"See Ruby, I told you." Pyrrha added.

"I mean, even if they are, I wouldn't know how to begin." Ruby said. "I haven't even thought about it before."

"Oh, that's easy." Coco said. "A friend of mine runs a little indie gallery. This stuff is way better than what she normally has and she owes me a favor besides. So, what do you say?"

"Uh…" Ruby stalled. She looked to Yang and Pyrrha. They both smiled and nodded, Pyrrha gesturing with her arm. "Okay, I'll give it a shot. Who knows? I might end up famous."


	17. Exhibition

The next day Coco's photographer friend Velvet arrived to take pictures of some of Ruby's paintings. That would help the gallery decide what to display. Ruby did not stop painting. She finished the portrait of Pyrrha and produced a few new works in the next few days. Then Ruby took a break from painting to do something more important. Pyrrha needed a new tattoo. Ruby had been hesitant to do it as soon as Pyrrha requested. It had been quite a while since she had done anything but touch-up existing tattoos, and she wanted to be at her best.

Finally it was time. It took a few hours, with Ruby working more slowly and carefully than usual, but the result was an ornate rose, Ruby's signature design, on Pyrrha's right shoulder. It was not just a tattoo, it was a symbol, a commitment. No matter what, Pyrrha was not going anywhere. Yang noticed when Pyrrha showed up at the gym the following day. It was time for a little chat. Yang pulled Pyrrha into a back room so they could speak in private.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Pyrrha said with a contented sigh, looking down at the new tattoo. The skin was still swollen and a bit discolored, but the design was still apparent.

"Ruby's best work." Yang said with a smile. "I'm glad you went through with it."

"So am I." Pyrrha said. "And not just because of how good it looks. It made Ruby so happy. She was smiling the whole time she was working on it. She was still smiling when I left this morning. You'd probably have to have the grin surgically removed if you wanted her to stop."

"You know what this means, yeah?" Yang asked.

"It means I…" Pyrrha started.

"It means you're part of the family now, Pyrrha." Yang declared, putting an arm around Pyrrha. "So welcome aboard sis."

"Thank you, Yang, that means a lot." Pyrrha said.

"And if you leave again I'm taking that ink back." Yang growled.

"I...I believe you." Pyrrha gasped. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Yang said cheerfully. "Now give your sister a hug!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Ruby was watching TV, waiting to hear from Coco's friend about exhibiting her art. Penny was still there, cooking lunch, when the phone rang. It was odd to get a call on the landline and Penny answered it. "Hello?" She said. "Oh, hello Dr. Oobleck. I'm Nurse Penny Polendina, Ruby's caretaker." There was a pause. "I'll ask." Ruby covered the reciever with her hand. "Ruby, Dr. Oobleck would like to talk to you. He said you were supposed to call him every week after leaving the hospital."

"Penny...I...I don't want to." Ruby said. "It's...bad memories and...I really hate hospitals and…"

Penny sighed and pressed the phone to her ear. "She's busy at the moment." Penny lied. A pause. "Yes, that does sound good." There was another pause. "That's perfect. Thank you Dr. Oobleck." Penny hung up the phone and walked over to Ruby. "I made an appointment for you. Tomorrow at 11AM."

"No!" Ruby shouted. "I'm not going back to the hospital. I don't want…"

"Ruby, this isn't about what you want." Penny said calmly. "This is about what you need, to get better. You're still having headaches, and your hallucinations aren't going away. The doctor might be able to help. I'll drive you there and be with you the whole time. I'm sure Pyrrha will take my place if you ask."

"But…but..." Ruby protested weakly.

"Ruby, this is something you have to do." Penny said. "You've already said you don't want to have to live like this, but things aren't going to change unless you do something about it."

"I...you're right." Ruby sighed. "I'll go and see what he has to say."

* * *

The trip to see Dr. Oobleck turned out to be much more than a normal check-up. After informing him of her condition, the doctor insisted Ruby go through a series of scans and tests. It took a lot of encouragement, and Pyrrha's promise of some naked-apron cooking, but Ruby went through with it. It was evening by the time the tests were over, and Ruby and Pyrrha were left to wait in Dr. Oobleck's office while he reviewed the results. "That was hell." Ruby complained. "God I hate hospitals."

"I know, but if it helps you get better…" Pyrrha started.

"It's worth it, I know." Ruby sighed. "I hope there's something he can do. I don't want to be dealing with these hallucinations for the rest my life."

Just then the door clicked open and the doctor walked in. He took a big gulp from his cup of coffee and sat behind his desk. "Well Ruby, I think I can explain your hallucinations." He said.

"Really?" Ruby gasped.

"I'll try to put this in the simplest terms possible." Dr. Oobleck said. "The part of your brain responsible for dreams is overactive, short-circuiting for lack of a better term. In addition, the bone chip still lodged in your brain is pressing against one of the areas that controls your perception of reality. Combine those two, and you have waking dreams your mind can't differentiate from reality."

"Is there anything you can do?" Ruby asked. "Any medication?"

"Unfortunately there's no easy fix." Dr. Oobleck replied. "Medication won't help with the hallucinations, though I can do something about the headaches."

"I don't care about the headaches." Ruby groaned. "The hallucinations...they're terrifying. I just want them to end." Tears welled in her eyes. "I came because I thought you could make them stop! There's got to be something, surgery, anything!" She cried.

"Well...there is something." Dr. Oobleck admitted. "But I wouldn't recommend it."

"Tell me, please." Ruby pleaded.

"Surgery to remove the bone chip _could_ help." Dr. Oobleck said. " _Could_. No guarantees. It would also be incredibly dangerous and expensive, and no insurance company will cover it."

"I'll do it." Ruby said.

"You would be risking death or serious mental and physical impairment." Dr. Oobleck warned. "There would be somewhere near a 30% chance of your dying, and a 50% chance of serious impairment. And it would cost you in excess of a million lien, out of pocket, up front."

"I don't care about the risks." Ruby said. "I don't want to live in fear of having another hallucination. It's crippling."

"Ruby, we need to talk about this." Pyrrha said. "This isn't a decision to take lightly."

"It doesn't matter." Ruby sighed. "I can't pay for it anyway."

"I could pay." Pyrrha offered.

"No, I don't want to be more of a burden than I already am." Ruby said. "You're already paying Penny and everything."

"Money isn't…" Pyrrha started.

"No." Ruby cut her off. "If I came up with the money, I'd do it. Until then, I guess there's nothing I can do."

"If that's what you want." Pyrrha sighed. Ruby nodded.

"Well, if you decide you want the surgery, I'll perform it." Dr. Oobleck said. He scribbled something on a pad. "Here's a prescription for new pain medication. Call me if you have any unpleasant side-effects."

Ruby and Pyrrha departed, heading back home. "You would take those risks?" Pyrrha asked as they drove home. "Your hallucinations are that bad?"

"I would, and they are." Ruby confirmed. "It's just terrifying when it's happening, and even when I'm not hallucinating I'm worrying about the next one."

"I'm sorry...I had no idea." Pyrrha sighed.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Ruby groaned. 'It's just another thing I didn't tell you. I know, I should have said something so you could help me, but there's nothing you can do. This surgery might be my only chance."

"Just don't take it lightly." Pyrrha said. "You have to consider how me and Yang and everyone else would be affected if the surgery went bad. We want you to be happy but...we don't want to lose you either."

"I know." Ruby said. "I was probably too eager in there. It doesn't really matter anyway. I could tattoo non-stop all year and not make enough money to afford that surgery...and no, there's no way I'm letting you or Yang or anyone else pay for it. I guess...I guess the hallucinations are something I'll just have to live with."

* * *

A few days later Coco dropped by with Yang. "Ruby, I have good news and bad news." Coco said.

"Start with the bad news I guess." Ruby shrugged.

"My friend didn't think your art was right for her gallery." Coco explained. "So it won't be displayed there."

"What?!" Ruby shouted. "You said she...how did it take her so long just to tell me no?!"

"That has to do with the good news." Coco said with a knowing smile. "Instead of her little gallery, your art's going on display at the Beacon Gallery!"

"Wha-wha-wha…" Ruby stammered, her mouth agape. After a few seconds she collapsed.

"Beacon Gallery?" Pyrrha asked.

"That would be the most prestigious art gallery in all of Vale." Coco replied. "Isn't that right Ruby?" Ruby nodded and curled up in a ball squealing and rocking back and forth.

"I've never seen her like this." Pyrrha gasped.

"I have, once." Yang said. Pyrrha and Coco gave her curious looks. "Dad told her she could have a Corgi for her birthday."

"Corgis are adorable." Coco said.

"They truly are." Pyrrha agreed. "Where is he?"

"Well...he died." Yang sighed.

"Oh…" Pyrrha said.

"Yup." Yang said. "At least Ruby's happy now." The three looked down at the ball of happy squeals at their feet.

"So, how long do you think she'll be like this?" Pyrrha asked.

"If the last time is anything to go by, you'll have to carry her to bed." Yang said. "And her squealing will probably keep you awake. And tomorrow might be a bit tricky."

"I'm going to have to promise some naked-apron cooking to get her to stop, aren't I?" Pyrrha asked. Ruby's squealing intensified.

* * *

The big day arrived with surprising alacrity. There Ruby was, in the fanciest art gallery she had ever seen, surrounded by Vale's great and good, her paintings on the walls. It was perfect, a dream...almost. "These heels are so uncomfortable." Ruby complained. "Can I take them off?"

"Ruby, as soon as the event is over, you can put on whatever shoes you want." Pyrrha replied.

"But it'll be hours!" Ruby groaned.

"Didn't you once tell me artists had to suffer for their craft?" Pyrrha asked.

"Damn lady stilts." Ruby grumbled. "This dress is so uncomfortable too. Why couldn't I just wear pants?"

"I'd rather be in shorts and a tank top too but sometimes we have to leave our comfort zones." Pyrrha said. "Come on, forget about what you're wearing. This is your night!"

"It does feel pretty great." Ruby admitted. "And every time someone comes up to me to praise my art...it just makes me feel so good."

"That's the spirit." Pyrrha said with a smile.

"Hey kiddo, long time, no see." Qrow said. He walked up accompanied by a tall white-haired woman who resembled Weiss.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby squealed. She stumbled on her heels and fell into a hug. "Isn't this cool! My art! Here!"

"I know, it's pretty great." Qrow said. "I'm glad I could make it. Could have done without the tux though."

"Formalwear sucks!" Ruby declared.

"Oh, it's not so bad." The white-haired woman said.

"You must be Weiss' sister." Pyrrha said. "What was it...uh…"

"Winter Schnee." She said, holding out her hand. Pyrrha shook it. Winter looked stunning in her tight white dress. "I'm a little disappointed Qrow failed to introduce me. I can't say I'm surprised though."

"Yeah, yeah." Qrow mumbled. "This is Winter, my...associate."

"Is that what we are?" Winter asked.

"I don't know, is it?" Qrow countered.

Winter laughed. "Well Ruby, I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do with you uncle." She said. "Ms. Nikos, if you'd be so kind as to show me around."

"Of course." Pyrrha said. She led Winter around the gallery, showing her Ruby's artwork.

"Ruby...uh...I'm sorry I haven't been around." Qrow sighed, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"It's alright." Ruby said. "What have you been up to?"

"You know, the usual National Police stuff." Qrow replied. "Following leads, tossing crooks in jail. I got a little...too focused...on a _certain case_ , and I forgot what was really important. I hope my being here tonight helps make up for it."

"It's fine, really." Ruby said. "I'm sure you'd have come running if I'd called."

"That I would have." Qrow confirmed. "So, what do you say we track down our girlfriends and enjoy the party?"

"Winter's your girlfriend?" Ruby gasped.

"I mean, I thought she was when I was boning her last night." Qrow laughed. "It's not a typical relationship."

"Isn't she a Senator?" Ruby asked.

"Hence the unusual relationship." Qrow said. "Apparently it wouldn't be proper for her to be seen dating a mongrel like myself. Behind closed door though...well...I'll explain when you're older."

"I made love to Pyrrha last night." Ruby said. "I think I'm ready for the talk."

"This is an entirely different talk kiddo." Qrow said. He began making a series of gestures with his hands, hooking and linking his fingers together, all the while making bizarre expressions of bliss. Ruby could not help but laugh.

* * *

When Qrow and Ruby caught up with Winter and Pyrrha, Winter was chatting with Weiss and Blake. When Ruby and Qrow joined the group Yang and Coco followed. "Looks like the gang's all here." Ruby said. "Well, except Ren and Nora. Where are they?"

"Nora was getting...rambunctious...so Ren took her outside." Weiss replied.

"They're banging in their car." Blake added.

"Yep, that sounds like them." Ruby shrugged.

"Hmm...now that you're all here, perhaps this would be a good time to make an announcement." Winter said. "Qrow and I have been dating for some time now. I suppose it's time we told someone."

"You're dating him?" Weiss gasped.

"Sure, he's crude, slovenly, and stubborn, but we truly care about one another." Winter said.

"You call me stubborn." Qrow laughed. "Yeah, she's kind of a bitch sometimes but hey, she's good in the sack so what the hell? And she's managed to help me keep my life on track."

"You dating a Senator, way to go Uncle Qrow!" Yang exclaimed. "You're moving up in the world."

"And you're moving down." Weiss said to Winter.

"Love before money or appearances." Winter said. "You seem to have taken it to heart with your girlfriend in any case. No offense."

"None taken." Blake said. "I beat people up for a living, not exactly the most genteel profession."

"But respectable nonetheless." Winter said. "Being a cop might not have the cache of a politician or a CEO, but Qrow's job is perfectly honorable."

"Enough of this boring, philosophical, high-society bullshit." Coco groaned. "Let's look at some art."

"I like the way you think." Qrow said. "We're here to celebrate Ruby's art"

The group made their way down a line of paintings. Ruby helpfully explained their inspirations and some of her process. As the group began to move on, Blake remained transfixed by one piece. It depicted a forest of red-leaved trees, at once sinister and peaceful. "I...I want it." Blake said, grabbing Weiss' sleeve.

"What?" Weiss asked.

"I need it." Blake said. "It's perfect. I know just where I'd put it."

"Ruby!" Weiss called. Ruby walked back to the pair. "I'll give you one hundred thousand lien for this painting."

"Wuh...huh...ab...sold!" Ruby exclaimed after snapping out of her shock.

"If you wanted you could probably make a lot of money by selling a few pieces." Weiss suggested. "They're very good, and you're an up-and-coming artist. You'll be in demand."

"Might I suggest an auction?" Winter said. "That would maximize your profits and help to further promote your name."

"Do you really think I'd make money?" Ruby asked.

"Of course." Winter said. "And there's a fairly prominent auction house right here in Vale. I happen to know the management, and I could set things up for you."

"Wow, sure!" Ruby squealed. "This is so cool. I feel like I'm a big famous artist!"

* * *

The group broke up to do their own things and soon the event was winding down. The crowds began to thin and most of the big names drifted out. Ruby stood near the door, wishing the departing guests a pleasant evening. Their comments on her art were universally positive and Ruby was feeling great. "Ruby." Yang said, walking up behind her.

"Hmm?" Ruby turned around to see Yang...and Raven. "Oh."

"Hello Ruby." Raven said.

"Raven, you have a lot to make up for." Ruby said.

"I know." Raven sighed. "I want to try."

Ruby stepped right up to Raven, getting in her face as best she could considering the height difference. She locked her silver eyes on Raven's red. "When mom died, Yang did everything she could to raise me." Ruby said. "She is everything to me. This is your only chance by me. Screw up, hurt her again, I don't care what she says, I will never accept you into this family. Understand?"

The color drained from Raven's face as she stood frozen. She gulped and nodded. "You...you are so much like her." Raven gasped. "I'm...I'm sorry. Please excuse me." Raven gave Yang a quick glance before rushing out.

"That was...a little harsh sis." Yang said.

"I don't care." Ruby said. "She abandoned her family. She needs to understand that there are consequences for that." Ruby paused and shook her head. "And you need to go make sure she's okay."

"Yeah, good idea." Yang agreed. "Not sure if I'll be back, but if I'm not, enjoy the rest of the night." She pulled Ruby into a hug.

"Thank you." Ruby said. "I love you."

"Love you too Rubes." Yang said as she released her sister. She then headed out after her mother.


	18. Funded

True to her word, Winter arranged an art auction just a few days later. She had to head back to Atlas and could not attend, but assured Ruby that it would be a success. Before she left Winter pointed out the pieces likely to sell for a decent price, and Ruby picked out a dozen paintings she decided she could part with. Once again Ruby put on a fancy dress to attend a venue that was too upscale for her taste. This time she incongruously wore sneakers, heels being a bridge too far.

"Weiss, how much do you think I'll make?" Ruby asked.

"Maybe 250,000 lien." Weiss shrugged. "I don't really know. I've never been to an auction here before, but it looks like there are some high-rollers in attendance."

"Well if Blake wants anymore paintings I'd be happy to part with them for six figures apiece." Ruby laughed.

"What can I say?" Blake said. "I really liked that one."

"I'm sure someone in the crowd will like each of your pieces just as much." Pyrrha encouraged. "Coco said she'd like to take one home, and you know she's going to pay as much as it takes."

"I never thought I'd make any money off painting." Ruby said. "I was just happy making a little from tattoos. Anything I get will be a bonus I guess."

"That's the spirit." Yang said. "Just enjoy the experience."

"Ms. Rose, can I borrow you for a moment?" The head of the auction house asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Ruby asked.

"An anonymous buyer has offered to purchase all of your paintings." The man said. He handed Ruby a paper. "Here is the offer."

Ruby stared at the paper with her mouth agape. "Ruby, what is it?" Pyrrha asked. She looked at the paper from over Ruby's shoulder. "Wow...that's a lot of zeroes."

"How many?" Yang asked. She slipped behind Ruby's other shoulder. "Damn, I'd be lucky to make that in a year."

"So, Ms. Rose, do you accept the offer?" The man asked.

Ruby said nothing but released a slight squeak as she nodded. The head of the auction house handed her a pen and she signed off on it, still standing there in shock. "Ruby, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked after Ruby stood there for a little longer.

Ruby let out a loud squeal and leapt into Pyrrha's arms. "I can afford the surgery!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Surgery?" Yang asked.

"Yeah...surgery." Pyrrha sighed. Despite Pyrrha's lack of enthusiasm, Ruby was bursting with energy, practically bouncing off the walls.

* * *

Weiss had a feeling she knew exactly who the anonymous buyer was. When she got home she dialed up her sister. "Hello Weiss." Winter answered the phone.

"Hey Winter, make any interesting purchases today?" Weiss asked.

"Whatever do you mean dear sister?" Winter inquired.

"It's just that Ruby's paintings made a killing." Weiss explained. "And the payment came from Atlas."

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Winter giggled.

"She's full of shit!" Qrow shouted in the background.

"You know, Ruby would love to meet the person who made her career." Weiss said.

"Perhaps one day she will." Winter said. "How did she react?"

"After the standing coma?" Weiss laughed. "She's been giggling and kissing Pyrrha all day."

* * *

The day after the art sale Ruby sat in her studio. She had no works in progress and was having a bit of difficulty thinking up what to paint next. Her mind kept coming back to the surgery. She wanted to have the procedure done, she wanted to be free of the hallucinations and the fear, she wanted to be happy. But it was not so simple. The surgery could do her serious harm. It might even kill her. The people around her, Pyrrha and Yang in particular, would be crushed if anything happened to her. They would want her to be happy, but the risks were great. Were they really worth taking?

Ruby closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands. It was not just thoughts about the surgery, but a powerful headache too. When she looked up she realized she was not alone. Jaune and her parents were there. "Hey...what are you...when did you get here?" Ruby asked.

"We thought you might need some help with your decision." Jaune explained. "So tell us what's on your mind."

"I want to get this surgery." Ruby said. "With the way things are now, I'm afraid all the time, terrified I'll have another hallucination. It's...I don't want to live like this. If I get the surgery done...I could die. There's a pretty good chance I would at least be seriously hurt by it. But it might be the only thing that can help. I just...I don't know if I should do it."

"Yeah, that's a tough one." Jaune sighed. "If things go wrong it could mess with your art too. That would be a tragedy. But living in fear like this...that sucks."

"I...I don't want to lose you." Taiyang said. "I know things are tough, but think of the people who care about you. If you died or were crippled...it would hurt them so much."

"I know, that's why it's so hard." Ruby groaned. "Mom...what do you think?"

Summer thought for a moment then smiled. "Ruby, if this is the only way you'll be happy, it's worth the risk." She said. "Yang, Pyrrha, everyone will understand and I'm sure they'll support you, just like I do. Just remember, we love you, always."

"Same." Jaune nodded.

"I love you, and I don't want you to die but...do what you must to be happy." Taiyang said.

"I love you guys." Ruby said. "And it's so good to see you again...again…" Ruby's headache flared and her vision blurred. When the disorientation faded she was alone in her studio. "They were...that was…"

There was a knock at the door. "Ruby, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked. "I heard you talking."

"I was talking to a hallucination." Ruby admitted. Pyrrha opened the door and came in. "I was thinking about the surgery and then Jaune and my parents appeared and talked to me about it."

"Are you...alright?" Pyrrha asked.

"I am." Ruby replied. "It wasn't scary or anything."

"Well...call me if you need anything." Pyrrha said. "Love you."

"I love you too." Ruby said as Pyrrha backed out of the room.

* * *

Pyrrha was full of worry. She wanted Ruby to be happy, but a surgery with only a 20% chance of success without harm, a 30% chance of death, it was a tremendous risk. It was tough enough to think about when it looked like it would never happen, but now it was a real possibility. That night they made love. Afterwards they held each other. Ruby, as she usually did, took a position as a preposterously small big spoon.

"I want to get the surgery." Ruby said. "I don't think I can be really happy if I have to keep fearing the next hallucination."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked.

"No...but I want to be sure." Ruby admitted. "I need to get better, and if this is my only chance…"

"No matter your decision, I'll support you." Pyrrha declared.

"You might lose me." Ruby sighed. "I might lose you."

"But you might get better." Pyrrha countered.

"If...if I don't make it...what will you do?" Ruby asked.

"Keep your memory alive, however I can." Pyrrha replied.

"But would you ever be happy?" Ruby pressed. " _Could_ you ever be happy?"

"No, not for a long time." Pyrrha said. "But if I could keep remembering the good times...maybe one day."

"And you're okay with that?" Ruby asked.

Pyrrha grabbed Ruby's hand, entwining their fingers. "I would do anything for you, Ruby." Pyrrha said.

"I love you." Ruby said.

"I love you too." Pyrrha responded.

* * *

"I know it sounds bad, but if it's my only chance…" Ruby said after explaining the surgery to Yang.

Yang already had tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to do it." She said. "I'm so afraid I'll lose you. But I want you to be happy, and if this is the only way...do it."

"Yang I…" Ruby started.

"I don't want you to have to live in fear." Yang cut her off. "No one should have to suffer like that. If this is the risk you have to take, take it. I'll be there with you the whole way."

"But if I died, what would you do?" Ruby asked.

"I don't even want to think about it." Yang shook her head.

"Please…" Ruby said.

"I'd be depressed, really depressed." Yang said. "I don't know what I'd do. I don't know how I'd be happy. I'm sure Coco would help but...no, I can't put this on you. If I know you're suffering I'll end up just as down. You need to do what you think is right, for you. You've always been so kind, too kind, too selfless. But now you need to do something for you. Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

"Yang, thank you." Ruby said. Yang wrapped her in a crushing embrace.

"I love you so much." Yang said. "And I just want you to be happy."

"I love you too." Ruby said. "Whatever happens I always will."

* * *

On Monday Ruby returned to the hospital to meet with Dr. Oobleck and schedule her surgery. She went through the last scans and tests the doctor would need to plan the procedure, and it was scheduled for the following Monday morning. Ruby paid with the money from her art sale and that was that. Only the wait remained, one week, maybe her last.

"If this is the last week I have...I want it to be a good one." Ruby said as she and Pyrrha drove home from the hospital. "I...I want to spend time with everyone I can." She sighed. "I wish Uncle Qrow was here too."

"I'll do everything I can to make this week the best one you've ever had." Pyrrha promised. "I'm sure the others will too."

"Yeah, I just...I still feel bad." Ruby groaned. "If something happens to me, everyone else is going to hurt so much."

"But if you don't do this you'll just go on hurting." Pyrrha said. "That's not fair to you. You deserve to be happy too."

"I know but...I just want everyone to be happy." Ruby said.

"And when the surgery goes off without a hitch we will be." Pyrrha declared with a smile. "We can't just focus on the negatives. What we all want is the old, happy-go-lucky Ruby back. Things will never be quite the same after what happened, but seeing you smile, that's what makes us happiest."

* * *

The next day Coco picked Ruby up from the apartment and drove to the gym to collect Yang. This was to be Ruby's day with Yang and Coco. Ruby was surprised to find Nora at the gym. Apparently she and Ren were just stopping in to take care of some business before moving on with the rest of their day. Ruby had already informed all her friends of the surgery, and when Nora spotted her she rushed over, launching immediately into a high-impact hug.

"Hey Nora, it's good to see you too." Ruby struggled as Nora squeezed the air out of her.

Nora released Ruby from the hug and held her by the shoulders. "You have to finish my tattoos." Nora said. "Please. Before the surgery. Just in...I want…"

"How about tomorrow?" Ruby suggested.

"Oh, that would be perfect!" Nora exclaimed. "Right Ren?" Ren nodded.

"Just swing by the apartment and I'll take care of it." Ruby promised.

"Ready to go?" Yang asked, walking up to the group.

"Yeah, just making some plans with Nora." Ruby replied. "So, where are we going?"

"I thought I'd take you shopping." Coco said. "It'll be fun for all of us. Then we'll head home for some tattoos."

"Sounds good." Ruby said. "Lead on."

* * *

Ruby, Yang and Coco arrived at the mall and headed into a clothing store. "How's your wardrobe holding up?" Coco asked.

"As sturdy as the day Yang built it." Ruby replied.

"She means your clothes Rubes." Yang laughed.

"I know, I know..." Ruby said.

"I haven't seen you in a new pair of jeans since we met." Coco observed.

"I thought the holes were fashionable." Ruby said.

"Only when made on purpose." Coco said.

"Your hoodie is getting pretty frayed around the edges." Yang added.

Ruby absentmindedly toyed with some of the loose threads around the left cuff. "I don't want to replace it." She said. "You got it for me."

Yang forced a smile and hugged Ruby. "I don't want you to replace it." Yang said. "Just get another so this one doesn't fall apart as fast."

"Uh, okay, sure Yang." Ruby agreed, not sure exactly what to make of Yang's display of emotion. "Wait, do they even make designer hoodies?"

"They make designer everything." Coco replied. "Designer socks, designer collars, designer plain white t-shirts…"

"Collars?" Ruby asked.

"Where do you think Blake got hers?" Coco asked.

"The pet store?" Ruby answered.

"Hah, wrong pet store Rubes." Yang laughed.

Coco had Ruby try on all sorts of outfits, almost using her as a dress-up doll. At one point she even put her in Yang's favorite ensemble. Ruby loved every minute. By the time they were done she had more clothes than she knew what to do with. Still, the thought that she would never get the chance to wear them nagged at her. Before leaving Yang headed off to use the bathroom, leaving Ruby and Coco alone.

"I think...I think I want to marry her." Coco blurted out.

"Really?" Ruby asked. "I never thought of you as the marrying type."

"Me neither." Coco admitted. "But for Yang...I feel like I could do it."

"I guess that means I'll have two big sisters." Ruby said.

"You're okay with this?" Coco asked.

"You helped Yang when she was at her worst, when no one else could." Ruby said. "The way I see it, that already makes you family."

"That means more to me than you think Ruby." Coco smiled. "I always wanted a little sister."

"Well, if you want, I can add a rose to your dragon tattoo." Ruby suggested. "You know, to make it official."

Coco teared up and Ruby smiled at her, leaning in as Coco hugged her. "Thanks sis." Coco said.

"What's up with you two?" Yang asked, returning.

"Oh, nothing." Coco said, turning off the waterworks. "Let's hit the road. I can't wait to get that tattoo."

The trio headed back to Ruby's apartment. Penny prepared some food while Ruby started work on Coco's tattoo. The design was pretty set, a brown dragon with yellow highlights, curled up on her back. As she often did with her art, Ruby went big, and the expansive tattoo grew to cover most of Coco's back. Then, as a little finishing touch, a tiny rose clutched in the dragon's teeth. It was subtle but oh so powerful. After a break for some dinner, Ruby repaired Yang's damaged tattoo. Her accident had obliterated most of the dragon's head but Ruby remembered the original design perfectly. At Yang's request she added a few brown highlights to the dragon, making it a mirror-image of Coco's.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today." Ruby said. She turned to Coco. "And thanks for being my canvas. You too Yang."

"That hurt like hell but it was so worth it." Coco said with a smile. Yang slapped her on the back and Coco winced.

"Nice work on both of us Ruby." Yang said. "We had a great time." She stepped up and hugged Ruby. The embrace was firm, but not as crushing as Yang's hugs usually tended to be. "After you're fixed up we'll have to do this more often." Yang held onto the hug much longer than she normally would. She simply did not want to let go.

"Sure thing." Ruby said. "I love you, both of you."

"And we love you." Coco said.

"Yeah, always." Yang added, finally releasing Ruby.

* * *

The following day Ren and Nora showed up at the apartment in the morning. Ren brought some of his pancakes, and the three shared them with Penny. Then it was straight into Nora's tattoo. The first part of Nora's tattoo, just half of it, had taken Ruby about a dozen hours spread over several days. Nora was not good at sitting still and it slowed the work down tremendously. Now the days were limited, so Ruby wanted to get an early start to make sure she could finish the whole thing. Nora took off her top and sat down in the chair as Ruby prepped her equipment.

"Ruby, before we start, I wanted to ask if we could make a tiny little change." Nora said.

"Sure." Ruby replied. "What do you want?"

"Uh...I know it's kind of important and...I wanted…" Nora struggled. "Well I was hoping you'd be willing to add a small rose. Just above my boob. I...I…" Tears welled in Nora's eyes and her lips quivered.

"I understand." Ruby said. "Come here." She pulled Nora into a hug and patted her on the back. "You two have always been like family to me."

"I don't want you to go." Nora wept.

"I'll fight Nora." Ruby promised. "For my family."

"I...okay." Nora said. With a bit of effort she composed herself. "Okay. Let's do this. I'm ready." And just like that, Nora was silent and still.

Ruby went to work. To her surprise, Nora contained her seemingly boundless energy. Far from the nightmare she had been the first time around, Nora was the perfect subject this time. Once Ruby finished with her chest and back and Nora could speak freely without disturbing the work, the two chatted about this and that, almost like everything was perfectly normal. Ruby managed to finish the whole thing by the early afternoon, far more quickly than predicted.

"All done." Ruby announced. "What do you think?" She handed Nora a mirror and held up another one behind her so she could see her back.

"Wow...it's beautiful." Nora gasped. "And the rose...it's so...I love it!" She hugged Ruby, then still topless, skipped out of the studio to show Penny.

"Do you need any touch-ups while you're here?" Ruby asked Ren.

"No, my tattoos are fine." Ren replied. "But I would like it if you prayed with me." After a troubled upbringing, Ren had once been in a very bad place. He credited religion with saving him and had been deeply religious since. His tattoo, a sunset with a specific pattern of birds before it, was a symbol of his devotion.

"I'm not really...I don't really know how." Ruby admitted.

"Don't worry about how." Ren said. "There's no right or wrong way." He knelt on the floor and motioned for Ruby to join him. "Just close your eyes and try to find peace. When you've done so, ask the Creator for his blessing. I will be asking on your behalf."

"I'll give it a shot." Ruby said as she knelt down. She tried her best. Though not sure she was doing it right, she did find the exercise calming. When she finally opened her eyes Penny and a still topless Nora were watching.

"I'm not too into the whole religion thing, but I'll be praying for you too." Nora said. "Ren's been praying for you every night since he heard. He's been praying since...the incident."

"I wish you luck, and the blessing of whatever higher power there may be." Penny added.

"Thanks, all of you." Ruby said. "I may not really get it, but it still means a lot."


	19. Party Animals

The next day Blake picked up Ruby and the pair went to lunch at a small cafe. They ordered and waited. "How's Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"She's...well...a little more cuddly than usual." Blake replied. "But I can't say that's a bad thing."

"I guess there's a silver lining to everything." Ruby said. "I can't imagine the stress she was under, with Pyrrha and Yang in that state."

"It's over and done with." Blake said. "Now she's just worried about you."

"I wish I could spend more time with her." Ruby sighed. "She's just so busy all the time. I'm surprised she was able to visit at all."

"She works her ass off, to take care of the gym, to take care of me." Blake said. "I'm so lucky to have found her. I never would have thought I could have a relationship like ours."

"I noticed you didn't wear your ears today." Ruby said.

"I remembered...this time." Blake laughed as Ruby joined in the giggling.

"I'm surprised you don't wear them all the time." Ruby said.

"I would if I could, but people tend to stare a bit too much." Blake explained. "Weiss gets scared people will insult me."

"How could anyone insult such an adorable kitty?" Ruby joked.

"Oh shush you." Blake said. "Somewhere Pyrrha is feeling jealous and she doesn't know why."

"Maybe we'll try something like that...someday…" Ruby trailed off.

"Hey Ruby, Nora was running around flashing her tits this morning." Blake said after a short silence.

"Yeah, I kind of did something for her." Ruby chuckled.

"Could...could you do that for Weiss and I?" Blake asked.

"Tattoo your boobs?!" Ruby gasped.

"You can tattoo anywhere you want Ruby." Blake laughed. "Just...we want to carry a piece of you with us...no matter what."

"I'll do it." Ruby agreed. "On one condition."

"Name it." Blake said.

"Slumber party." Ruby said.

* * *

After eating Ruby and Blake stopped at Ruby's apartment to grab her tattoo equipment. Then it was on to the mall where they stopped at The Fall to get Ruby some cute dog ears. After that it was on to the apartment Weiss and Blake shared. They got things set up then lie in wait for Weiss. After waiting some time they could hear Weiss struggling with her keys outside the door. Blake opened the door and jumped forward to immediately hug Weiss who struggled not to drop her bag of take-out. "Welcome home Weiss." Blake said.

"Weissy!" Ruby exclaimed, leaping in to hug Weiss from the side.

"Ruby?" Blake gasped, seeing Ruby in her ears. "Blake wha…"

Blake cut Weiss off with a kiss on the lips. "We've got a surprise for you." Blake said.

"Mistress." Ruby said with a bow.

"Ruby Rose!" Weiss shouted. Blake and Ruby released Weiss from their embrace. Blake took the bag of food in one hand and Weiss' hand in the other, as Ruby grabbed hold of Weiss' free hand. With the situation becoming increasingly clear, Weiss began to blush. "Ruby...is...is Pyrrha okay with this?" She asked.

"She's not here to seduce you Weiss." Blake said, much to Weiss' relief.

"Slumber party!" Ruby cheered.

"Since when are we twelve?" Weiss asked. She tried to sound mocking but her smile gave her away.

"Tonight we all get to be dumb teenagers, eat junk food, watch scary movies, talk about girls." Ruby said. "Get matching tattoos."

Weiss looked over Ruby's shoulder to see the tattoo equipment laid out and ready. "Ruby…" She started.

"Now you'll finally have something in common with Nora." Blake laughed.

Weiss laughed, though it was clearly forced. Ruby hugged her. "Blake said you two talked about it." Ruby said. "Something small, between the thumb and forefinger?"

"So when we hold hands they'll always be next to each other." Weiss shook her head. "We read too many romance novels."

"It's beautiful." Ruby declared. "And I have just the design in mind. The only question is, who goes first?"

"Dibs." Blake said. She was already seated and ready to go. Ruby quickly went to work, and in minutes Blake had a tiny but intricate rose on her hand.

"Alright Weiss, you're up." Ruby announced.

Weiss sat down but kept looking at her hand, holding it with the other. Ruby got out a fresh needle and locked it in place. "I don't know…" Weiss hesitated.

"Come on, I got mine." Blake said.

"But isn't it...painful?" Weiss asked.

"A little." Blake admitted. "You're not afraid of a tiny little needle are you?"

"I'm afraid of being stabbed repeatedly at a high rate of speed by a tiny needle." Weiss admitted.

"Don't be a wuss." Blake said. "I have these big tattoos on my shoulders and I didn't sit around worrying about how it would feel. They hurt but it's worth it."

"Well...I guess so." Weiss groaned. She held out her hand and Ruby took it, preparing it for the work she was about to do. "So you'll tell me when…" Just then Ruby put needle to skin. Weiss gasped and winced but Ruby held her hand still with a little assist from Blake who clamped down on Weiss' wrist. As Ruby worked Weiss occasionally squeaked a bit but did not squirm too much. With the tattoo complete, Ruby and Blake released her. "That hurt a lot!"

"Can you tell she's not a fighter?" Blake joked.

"And it's all bloody and swollen!" Weiss complained.

"Just let me cover it." Ruby said. "Blake can tell you how to take care of it properly, and it'll look beautiful in no time."

"Ugh." Weiss huffed. Her demeanor quickly shifted and a smile spread across her face. "Thank you Ruby."

* * *

The trio sat down on the couch and watched some movies. Weiss was even more squeamish about the horror movies than she had been about that tattoo. She spent most of the time clinging to Blake, watching through her fingers. Ruby sat there and laughed, even if a few of the scares made her jump too. To finish off the night, and to placate Weiss, they watched a nice romantic comedy. Ruby took a spot in the middle of the couch. Blake laid down and slid over to put her head on Ruby's lap while Weiss leaned against her from the other side. Blake and Weiss each held one of Ruby's hands as Weiss ran her free hand through Blake's hair.

"We should do this more often." Weiss said with a contented sigh.

Blake looked up at Weiss and Ruby. "And we will." Blake declared. "We all will."

"I love you guys." Ruby said.

"We love you too, Ruby." Weiss said as she planted a kiss on Ruby's forehead.

* * *

On Friday evening, at the gym, there was a party for Ruby. It was presented as a "good luck" party, but everyone could see it was an "incase you die" party. Still the mood was jovial. Everyone from the gym was there, along with Coco and Nora, and Penny came along with Ruby too. There was alcohol on offer, along with some snacks, but the company was the main attraction.

Ruby and Penny arrived later than most. Ruby set about introducing Penny to those she had not yet met. That process wrapped up with Sun, who was finally looking like himself now that his broken nose has mostly healed. As he usually did, he was wearing a button-up shirt that was entirely unbuttoned. "And this is Sun, another one of the fighters." Ruby said. "Sun, this is Penny, my nurse."

"Nice to meet you." Sun said, holding out his hand to shake.

"Abs…" Penny said flatly, staring at them.

"Uh...is she okay?" Sun asked. Ruby shrugged. "Hey, you alright?" He reached out and shook Penny a little by the shoulder.

"Oh...sorry...your...abs…" Penny stammered.

"My eyes are up here." Sun laughed.

"Uh huh." Penny said, not shifting her gaze.

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone." Ruby said. "Go easy on her Sun."

Ruby left Sun standing there confused and made her way to Glynda. "Hello Ruby." She said. "It's good to see you again."

"Hey Doc." Ruby said.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that." Glynda sighed. "So, are you coming back to me for physical therapy after this surgery?"

"I sure am." Ruby confirmed. "Actually, I was wondering if you could help me get in better shape."

"Really?" Glynda asked. "Why this and why now?

"Well, I want to do a better job of keeping up with Pyrrha." Ruby replied.

"She's a world-class athlete." Glynda observed. "A world champion. No matter what I do for you, I don't think it's going to be enough."

"She's got a world-class libido too." Ruby explained. "She'd never say she's unsatisfied, but I want to do better."

"So you want to get in shape to have better sex?" Glynda asked.

"Yep." Ruby answered.

"At least motivation won't be an issue." Glynda laughed. "Once everything with your head's sorted out we'll start working on it. I'll even come up with a diet plan."

"Diet plan?" Ruby gasped.

"Of course." Glynda said. "All the exercise in the world won't matter if you go home and stuff your face with junk food. Besides, eating right will make the exercise more effective."

"I guess you're right." Ruby groaned. "As long as I still get to have cookies."

"In moderation." Glynda said. "It sounds like a drag but you won't mind when you're feeling healthier!"

"I guess we'll find out." Ruby sighed. "Thanks Doc." Glynda rolled her eyes, knowing full well that everyone was always going to call her Doc.

Meanwhile Nora was taking to the alcohol like a fish to water. "Don't you think you should rein her in?" Pyrrha asked Ren.

"She'll be fine." Ren shrugged. "And anything that lowers her energy level is a good thing."

"Somehow I don't think drinking will make her any more lethargic." Pyrrha said. "I just hope she doesn't do anything…"

Before Pyrrha could finish the thought Nora, already swaying with inebriation, whipped her top off to show off her tattoos. Pyrrha looked to Ren. "Nothing we haven't all seen before." Ren said, seeming not to care in the slightest.

Nora stumbled over to Yang and Coco. "Hey Coco, you've never fucked Ren huh?" Nora slurred.

"No, I haven't." Coco confirmed.

"Yang has." Nora giggled. "Pretty great, right?"

"Yeah...uh...it was pretty great." Yang replied.

"Coco, he's huge!" Nora enthused. She made a series of grand hand gestures to define length and girth. "Tell her Yang!"

"She's only exaggerating a little." Yang said. "And he's got the moves. And the stamina."

"I'm horrified and aroused." Coco said.

"I'm sure we could make room for you if you ask nicely." Nora said with a wink.

"Now are you worried?" Pyrrha asked Ren.

"I don't really care." Ren shrugged. "If she said something insulting...maybe I'd be bothered."

Arriving late, Blake and Weiss strolled in. Blake's attire was unconventional to say the least. She was wearing cat ears and a collar, with a tail protruding from her pants. Soon all eyes were on her. It was no secret that she and Weiss were into some _interesting_ stuff, but Blake had never before presented such a visible example at the gym. "She's like a kitty!" Nora squealed. "So cute!"

Blake walked over to Pyrrha, circled around her, then laid her chin on Pyrrha's shoulder, nuzzling the side of her head. Pyrrha blushed brightly. "B-Blake wh-what are y-you doing?" Pyrrha stuttered.

"Looks like she's taken a shine to you." Weiss laughed. "She's very affectionate tonight."

"Well I…" Pyrrha started.

Blake purred and Pyrrha was taken totally off guard. "Okay Blake, that's enough." Weiss said. She walked to Blake, caressing her shoulder. "You're making poor Pyrrha uncomfortable." Blake laughed and turned from Pyrrha to make out with Weiss.

"And you were worried about Nora." Ren deadpanned.

* * *

Ruby peeled away from the rest of the group to go use the bathroom. She opened the door and was in for a shock. Penny and Sun were inside, locked together and making out. Sun had a hand up Penny's shirt and she a hand down his pants, her other hand tracing his abs. "Penny?!" Ruby gasped.

Penny and Sun pulled their hands back and separated. "Out!" Penny shouted. Ruby squealed and backed out. "I thought you said you locked the door!"

"Shit, I guess the lock was broken." Sun said.

"Ugh...so close." Penny sighed. "Look, I need to go." She opened up her purse and pushed a few things around.

"Oh...alright." Sun sighed. "That was...fun."

"This was _exhilarating_ and we _will_ be doing it again." Penny declared. She handed Sun her business card. "Here's my number. Now I must threaten Ruby into silence."

Penny rushed out, guessing correctly that she would used the bathroom attached to the showers, and waiting outside. "Oh...Penny...I…" Ruby struggled when she emerged.

"If you tell anyone what you saw, I'll smother you in your sleep." Penny threatened, her eyes locked on Ruby's and her voice unwavering.

"My lips are sealed." Ruby promised.

"Good!" Penny said cheerfully. "I hope you're enjoying the party as much as I am!"

* * *

Ruby rejoined Pyrrha looking shaken. "Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked. "What happened?"

"N-nothing." Ruby stammered. "Did I miss anything fun?"

"Fun...maybe." Pyrrha replied. "Interesting, definitely. First Nora got...a little tipsy and discussed some...lewd subjects after taking her top off. Then Blake showed up dressed like…"

"Yang!" Nora screamed, running full speed across the room towards her target. She happened to be entirely nude.

"Nora wha…oof!" Yang said as Nora tackled her. Nora straddled Yang and pinned her to the ground, a wicked smile on her face. After letting out a drunken laugh, Nora dove down and began kissing Yang on the lips, despite Yang's efforts to push her off. Coco walked over and started laughing hysterically. "Nor...stop! Hey...no!"

"Nora, come on now." Ren said. He walked over and put a hand on her bare shoulder. Nora looked up at him. "Nora, what's gotten into you?"

"Coco said if I did it we would have a 4-way!" Nora replied. "How could I resist?"

"You'd need my permission first." Ren said. "And I'm pretty sure you'd just have to ask."

"Oh yeah." Nora sighed. "So how about it?"

"If Yang and Coco want to, I'd be happy to oblige, but not here." Ren said. "You're too drunk. Grab your clothes and let's go home."

"Shall we join you?" Coco asked, struggling to stifle her laughter.

"Yang?" Ren asked.

"Uh...sure." Yang said, catching her breath. "Coco, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"I like it that way." Coco said with a smirk.

Yang got to her feet, walked over to Ruby and hugged her. "Well Ruby, I guess I'm heading out." Yang said. "I'll see you Monday. Enjoy your weekend with Pyrrha."

"Oh, I will." Ruby said. "Even more than your night with Ren."

"You will never understand until you've tried it." Yang said with a wink. "I'm sure he'd let you and Pyrrha give it a go if you just asked."

"I think I'll pass." Ruby said. "At least for now. See you Monday!"

Yang waved and headed out with Coco in tow. After collecting her clothes Nora followed with Ren. With them gone the party died down and soon broke up. Ruby, Pyrrha and Penny headed back to the apartment for the night. Time was already running short.

* * *

Ruby's weekend was devoted entirely to Pyrrha. On Friday night they gave Penny the weekend off so they had the apartment to themselves. Pyrrha woke early on Saturday morning but let Ruby sleep. She just got up and waited on the couch for about an hour until Ruby stumbled out of the bedroom, yawned, and sat beside her. A good morning kiss quickly turned into love making.

"So, what should we do next?" Ruby asked.

"We could add to my tattoo." Pyrrha suggested. "I'd love to add a sleeve like Yang has. Maybe even more eventually."

"I'd love to!" Ruby cheered.

"Someday I'll have more tattoos than Yang." Pyrrha joked.

"You know how competitive Yang is." Ruby warned. "She'd probably add to hers just to beat you."

"I'm competitive too, you know." Pyrrha said. "I'd just get my entire body covered. Can't beat that!"

"Even your boobs?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, even my breasts!" Pyrrha declared, thrusting her chest forward.

"You and Nora could rub them in Yang's face." Ruby laughed.

"Take that sis!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she shook her chest.

After Ruby and Pyrrha shared an extended fit of laughter, they headed into the studio. Ruby already had a design planned out, and Pyrrha told her to do whatever she wanted. From the large rose on her shoulder, Ruby extended Pyrrha's tattoo down her arm with vines and red roses. The vines were a bit more abstract and angular than Yang's realistic tattoo, much more similar to the style popular in Pyrrha's native Mistral. It took several hours, with a break for lunch in the middle, but Ruby finished the intricate design.

After finishing with the tattoos and applying a protective covering, the pair went out to dinner at Vale's fanciest restaurant. Ruby found it impossibly romantic. The tables even had real candles! After an over-priced and under-sized meal made up for by the incredible ambiance, they headed home. They relaxed on the couch for a time before moving on to the bedroom where they again made love before going to sleep for the night.

* * *

Another session of morning love making awaited, this time right there in bed as soon as the pair awoke. "What would you like to do today?" Pyrrha asked once they were both satisfied.

"How about we bake cookies?" Ruby suggested.

"Cookies?" Pyrrha asked.

"A lot of 'em." Ruby confirmed. "Enough for all our friends."

"That's...going to be a lot of cookies." Pyrrha said. "Why cookies anyway?"

"I need to tide them over for when I'm asleep, and thank them for their support." Ruby explained. "It has to be something cute and sweet like me, so cookies!"

"Hmm...naked apron baking?" Pyrrha suggested.

"You read my mind!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'll even get in on the fun this time!"

After getting properly attired they went to work. Ruby carefully followed Pyrrha's instructions, and there was none of the catastrophic mess characteristic of previous attempts. Limited only by the quantity of ingredients on hand, they prepared a massive batch, enough for four trays. They slipped two in the oven and did some kitchen love making to pass the time while they cooked. Then the process was repeated a second time. By the time the second batch was done they were exhausted and fulfilled, having baked more than enough cookies along the way. After eating some of them for lunch they dressed and sat down on the couch to relax in front of the TV.


	20. It's not Goodbye

A shared shower turned into shower sex that eventually made its way to the bedroom. After two days of fun that included making love more in a weekend than they usually did in a month, Ruby and Pyrrha were exhausted. They lie side-by-side, hand-in-hand. In the morning Ruby would have her surgery. Then...no one could say.

"Pyrrha, we need to talk." Ruby said after a long silence. She sat up and gazed at Pyrrha.

"I don't want to." Pyrrha groaned.

"I know it hurts, but we need to." Ruby insisted. "And I only have a few things to say."

Pyrrha sat up, grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest. "Okay." She sighed.

Ruby reached under the bed, pulling out a black box wrapped in a red ribbon. "I'm not going to say goodbye." She declared. "I'm going to make it through this. I'm not giving up hope. But...if the worst comes to pass...I want to give my friends, no, my family, some closure." Pyrrha buried her face in the pillow. Ruby's voice grew shakier as she continued. "In this box is my will. There's also letters for Ren, Nora, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Coco, Penny, Qrow and you. If I can't say goodbye myself, the letters will do it for me. When I wake up, when I get better, we'll burn them, together."

"I'm so scared Ruby." Pyrrha cried. "If...if...I won't be able to go on."

Ruby hugged Pyrrha, pulling her into her lap. "You will Pyrrha." Ruby assured her. "You're strong, and I love you, and I just want you to be happy, more than anything else. That's why I'm doing this, so we can both be happy. But one way or another, with or without me, you need to be happy."

"I love you Ruby." Pyrrha wept. "I love you so much. I'll always love you. I want to marry you. I want to adopt children with you. I want to grow old by your side."

"I'll fight for us Pyrrha." Ruby promised. "You are my world, and I won't give up, not while there's any fight left in me." She reached up and brushed the tears from Pyrrha's cheek. "Now dry those tears. Now's not the time to be sad. We'll get up early, have some fun, and watch the sunrise. Then I'll go have my surgery and come back, better than ever. We both have to believe that."

"I...I…" Pyrrha stammered, gazing into Ruby's silver eyes. "When I look at you, when I see how determined you are, I believe it."

"Good." Ruby said with a smile. "Let's get some rest. There's a big day waiting for us."

* * *

Ruby and Pyrrha got up and watched the sunrise together. For a short time they just sat together, holding one another. Then it was time to get dressed and go. On arriving at the hospital Ruby went through a series of pre-checks and tests while Pyrrha waited, soon joined by others as they made their way in. Ren and Nora were first to arrive, followed by Yang and Coco, Sun and Penny, Weiss and Blake and finally Raven. The surgery was still not scheduled to start for some time so they waited and chatted amongst themselves.

While Nora caught up with Penny, Sun made his way over to Blake. "Hey Blake." He said.

"Hi Sun." Blake said. "What's up?"

"Hey...you know how...uh...Weiss is...with you?" Sun struggled. "I think...I think Penny might be like that. Holy fuck is she a good time, but she scares the shit out of me."

"You poor thing." Blake laughed.

The doors opened and the gurney carrying Ruby was wheeled in. She was dressed in a hospital gown and the side of her head was already shaved. "Hey guys." She said. "Looks like it's about time." She looked around. "Wow, I feel really loved, seeing you all here."

"Ruby!" Nora cried. She rushed over and wrapped her in a crushing embrace. "I don't want you to go!"

"Don't worry about it Nora." Ruby said. "I'll be fine. But Yang's going to need a lot of hugs today. You give the best ones, so that'll be your job, okay?"

"Sure thing." Nora said. "I'm on hug patrol!"

"I'll be praying for you." Ren said. He shed a single tear, but quickly wiped it away and was back to his usual impassive self.

"Thanks." Ruby nodded. "Weiss, Blake, we've had a lot of fun recently." The pair walked up on either side of her, taking her hands. "Take care of Pyrrha while I'm asleep. I can see she's a nervous wreck already."

"We will." Weiss said.

"When you're better we'll have more fun." Blake promised. "We're not going to stop hanging out just because you're healthy!" She and Weiss kissed Ruby on the forehead.

"Oh, definitely." Ruby agreed. "Penny, thanks for taking care of me. You'll always be part of my family."

"When you're back I might even get a tattoo." Penny offered. "Just a little one."

"Sun, Penny's going to be a bit down." Ruby continued. "Take care of her, alright?"

"I think I'm the one in trouble." Sun said with an uneasy laugh. "But I'll do my best. Good luck in there."

"Coco I…" Ruby started.

"When this is over we're going to the mall." Coco cut her off. "We'll do some family bonding. And your wardrobe could still use some more variety." Coco leaned in and whispered. "And I want you to be my Best Lady...though Yang'll probably want you as Maid of Honor."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Ruby said.

Raven stepped forward. She was shaking and the color was drained from her face. "I...I...good luck." She struggled.

Ruby motioned Raven closer and hugged her once she was in range. "Take good care of Yang for me while I'm sleeping." Ruby said. "This is your chance to be her mother."

"I...I will." Raven declared. "I hope you'll accept me into your family."

"I will if Yang will." Ruby smiled. "I just want her to be happy."

"Oh Ruby!" Yang cried. She rushed to her sister and embraced her. "You come back, okay? I swear if you don't…"

"I'll be back." Ruby promised. "I have to see you win the championship after all." Yang nodded, wiped away her tears and stepped back. Raven put an arm around her shoulders. "Well Pyrrha, I think it's time."

"I know." Pyrrha said with tears in her eyes. "I love you, always."

"I love you too." Ruby said. They shared a quick kiss. "Whatever happens, you need to be happy, okay? I'm sure everyone will help."

"I'll try, but don't make it hard." Pyrrha said. "You get through this and come back to me."

"I will." Ruby declared. "I'll see all of you soon. Until then, enjoy the cookies! I love you all!" The nurses wheeled Ruby away, towards the OR.

Raven sighed and looked down at the floor. "You come back" She whispered. "I don't want to lose you again."

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"N-nothing." Raven stammered. "Nothing."

* * *

Most of the group had planned to depart once Ruby went in for surgery, but they all ended up sticking around. For hours they waited with no word. That was not surprising. It was a difficult procedure and there would not be a chance for the doctors to step out to talk about progress. They had been informed ahead of time that it would take quite a while. There was some idle chatter, but mostly the group worried in silence. Weiss and Blake sat on either side of Pyrrha, holding her hands. With Ren's encouragement, Nora gave Yang regularly scheduled hugs every ten minutes.

In the evening, the neurosurgeon Dr. Oobleck finally emerged into the waiting room. "The procedure is complete." He announced. "Ruby's resting now, and we have her in an induced coma."

"So...everything went okay?" Pyrrha asked, terrified of the answer.

"The bone chip was successfully removed, but there was a complication." Dr. Oobleck replied. Pyrrha did her best not to cry, contorting her face and squeezing Weiss and Blake's hands. "There was some unexpected bleeding. Right now I can't make any solid statements about the damage the bleeding caused, or for that matter, what damage was done by the surgery in general. Ruby will be comatose for a few days regardless."

"Can we...can we see her?" Yang wept.

"You may, but there's not much to see." Dr. Oobleck answered. The group decided to see her anyway. Her head was wrapped in bandages and she looked to be sleeping peacefully. There was not the slightest hint of pain on her face.

"I'll stay." Pyrrha declared. "The rest of you...you can go."

"We're not going to leave you here alone." Weiss said.

"And I'm not going anywhere." Yang added. Everyone ended up staying until late that night. Then they drifted away. Yang stayed, accompanied by Coco, the pair sleeping in chairs at Ruby's bedside. Pyrrha stayed too, but there was no sleep for her.

* * *

Pyrrha remained at Ruby's side as the days passed with no change in her condition. Yang visited daily, being dropped off by Coco in the morning and driven home in the evening. Blake stopped in every day. So did Ren and Nora, with Ren burning incense and praying. Penny came by frequently and Weiss visited when she could find a break in her busy schedule. Raven made sporadic visits too. The time when Ruby was expected to wake came and went. Dr. Oobleck made the point that Ruby could recover at any time, but that with each passing day it became less likely.

A week after the surgery Ruby had still not regained consciousness. Pyrrha wanted to remain at her bedside as she had but decided she could not put her life on hold forever. Her next fight was looming on the horizon, and Ruby would not want her to throw away her career. So Pyrrha kissed Ruby and left for the day, going to the gym to train. Yang, still too injured to train effectively, took her place until she returned that night. She was growing increasingly despondent, but Coco did her best to hold Yang together. Then, as she had all week, Pyrrha slept in a chair at Ruby's bedside.

The pattern continued. Visits from the others became less frequent but Ren still dutifully came every evening to pray and burn incense. Pyrrha noticed a subtle change though. Where he had once burned only one type of incense, Ren now burned two distinct types. After a few days Pyrrha was too curious not to ask. "Ren, you started burning two kinds of incense." Pyrrha observed. "Why?"

"I don't think I should say." Ren warned.

"Just tell me." Pyrrha commanded. "If you don't I'll just look it up on my own."

"Very well." Ren sighed. "The first is said to have healing properties. It is meant to mend her soul and return her to consciousness." He paused. "But now...that may not be what she truly needs. If the Creator wills it, the second type will ease her soul's passage to the afterlife." He shook his head. "I am sorry. But what the Creator wills, He wills. We mortals may not like it, we may not understand it, but we must accept it."

"You don't need to apologize." Pyrrha said. She stepped up and hugged Ren, resting her head against his shoulder. "I always knew it was a possibility and as the days go by...I find myself thinking more and more about it. It's something we all need to be prepared for, whether we like it or not."

"My thoughts exactly." Ren said. He returned the hug a bit awkwardly, but Pyrrha got the clear impression that he was trying to be encouraging. "I've not given up hope. As long as she breathes I won't. It would simply be unwise to be unprepared."

"Thank you." Pyrrha said. She took a step back. "Just don't tell Yang. She'll probably rip your head off."

"I haven't told Nora either." Ren admitted. "As badly as she's taking this...I can't imagine what Yang is like."

"She's been crying a lot." Pyrrha sighed. "But she hasn't given up hope."

"Hope can do wonderful things." Ren said with a smile. "If we hold onto it...who knows?"

* * *

Another week passed and still Pyrrha spent her nights at Ruby's beside, only leaving for a few hours each day to train. The others encouraged her to go home and get some good sleep, but she refused. Ruby was far more important to her than herself. Finally it became an ultimatum, go home and get some rest or no training. Pyrrha reluctantly agreed to spend Saturday at home. On Friday morning though, she woke in a chair as she had for more than two weeks. The sun streamed in and lit the hospital room. As she did every morning Pyrrha got up and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She splashed some water in her face, made sure she looked vaguely presentable, then made her way back to Ruby's bedside.

"I'm leaving for the day." Pyrrha said. "I'm...not coming back tonight. The others...they say I need to get some rest so...I'm heading to the apartment for a while. But I'll be back, I promise." She bent down, hugged and kissed Ruby, then stood once again. "I love you." She walked to the door but turned and gazed at Ruby for a few seconds longer. Ruby coughed. Her eyelids fluttered. She coughed again. "Ruby?" Pyrrha gasped.

"Pyrrha…" Ruby groaned.

Pyrrha rushed back to Ruby's side, placing one hand on her shoulder and the other on the side of her face, guiding Ruby's gaze. "Ruby?!" Pyrrha said. Their eyes met.

"H-hey Pyrrha…" Ruby whispered. "Is it over?"

Pyrrha stood upright. "Nurse!" Pyrrha called. "She's awake!" She bent back down. "Hold on Ruby, I need to tell the others." Pyrrha pulled out her phone and sent the text she had so looked forward to sending but had lately despaired of ever having the opportunity to send.

* * *

Yang was eating breakfast. Just some scrambled eggs she had whipped up herself. Her phone, sitting on the table beside her, buzzed. A text. Yang put down her fork and unlocked the phone to see what the text was about.

Coco walked into the kitchen to find Yang laughing with tears in her eyes. "Wha…" Coco started.

"Ruby's awake!" Yang exclaimed. She leapt up and embraced Coco. "We have to go see her!"

Coco had tears in her eyes too. "I'm so glad." She said. "Let's not waste a moment."

* * *

"Woohoo!" Nora cheered.

"What is it?" Ren asked, walking into the room.

"She...up...happy...yay!" Nora babbled incoherently.

Ren looked at her with confusion so Nora thrust her phone forward, showing him the text from Pyrrha. "Oh, thank the Creator." Ren said, hugging Nora. He said a quick prayer before the pair rushed out.

* * *

As Weiss was finishing with her hair her phone buzzed. She finished up then picked up the phone. She gasped, turned, and tore the shower curtain open. Blake recoiled in shock. "What's going on?!" Blake gasped, instinctively covering herself.

"Ruby's awake." Weiss replied. "Hurry up and let's get going."

"I'm thrilled but you could have told me without startling me." Blake grumbled.

"But what fun would that have been?" Weiss laughed.

* * *

The buzzing of her phone woke Raven up. She rolled over and grabbed it, glancing at the screen. Ruby was awake? Finally! She had never given up hope. She could not bring herself too. She jumped out of bed and hurriedly got dressed. Instead of heading to the hospital, Raven headed to the bakery. Ruby was going to want some cookies for sure.

* * *

"Let go." Qrow groaned, struggling free of Winter's embrace to roll over and reach his phone. He gasped, threw off the covers and leapt up, throwing on clothes as quickly as he could find them.

"What's going on?" Winter asked groggily. "Where are you going?"

"Vale!" Qrow replied. "Ruby's awake!"

* * *

"Mistress...please allow me to…" Sun begged, blindfolded and bound.

"Not until you've sufficiently…" Penny started. Her phone beeped. "Hold on a moment."

"Oh for fuck's sake…" Sun groaned. Penny got off of him and Sun could hear her footsteps heading toward the bathroom. "What's going on?"

"Ruby's awake!" Penny cheered. "I'm taking a shower and heading to the hospital."

"But...I'm still tied up here." Sun complained.

"It's not even a complicated knot." Penny said.

"I can't fucking see it!" Sun shouted.

"Is that any way to talk to your Mistress?" Penny shot back.

"Well shit…" Sun sighed. "Mistress, please untie me. I'd like to see Ruby as well."

"I'll think about it." Penny giggled.

* * *

"How do you feel?" Pyrrha asked.

Ruby blinked repeatedly, trying to get her eyes to adjust. "I...I feel alive." Ruby replied.

"Good, good." Pyrrha said. "Thank God. I was so afraid."

"I wasn't going to leave you." Ruby said. She strained to lift her arm but between the medication and more than two weeks of atrophy, it was no use. Pyrrha helpfully grabbed it and held it to her face.

"I...God I almost lost you again." Pyrrha sobbed. "Ruby Rose, I'll never let you go. Ever! I love you!"

"I love you too Pyrrha." Ruby said with a smile.

A doctor and some nurses arrived and did a few tests to make sure things were in order. Signs were good. Ruby could move her fingers, she did not seem to have suffered any memory loss, and she seemed to be herself. She had no feeling in her right leg, however, and could not move any part of it. But that was a problem for the future. Ruby was awake and that was what mattered. As the minutes and hours passed more and more friends arrived to see Ruby. There were tears of joy and hugs all around. In the afternoon even Qrow and Winter made it. It was the joyous reunion Ruby had been anticipating since she headed into the operating room.


	21. Recovery

Just a day after leaving the hospital, Ruby had Pyrrha take her to Patch. Ruby wanted to visit her parents' grave, something she had not done in far too long. She was still not in great health, still weak and confined to a wheelchair. The feeling in her right leg had begun to return, along with some motor control, but it remained mostly inoperable. The doctors said it might get better, but cautioned her not to expect any serious improvement. Ruby was just happy that her art was not impacted. She could still paint, and if she could paint, she could tattoo.

Pyrrha wheeled Ruby up to the grave, then walked back to wait at the car so Ruby would have some privacy. When visiting the place she would have a one-sided conversation with her mother and sometimes even her father, telling them about how her life was going. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes Ruby gasped. Summer now sat atop the gravestone and shadow figures wandered around behind her. The sky had turned a threatening red.

"Hello Ruby." Summer said.

"M-mommy!" Ruby gasped. "But...I thought I was better."

"You are better, Ruby." Summer said. "Just not cured."

"But I thought this would stop." Ruby groaned.

"Nothing's perfect, but things are better." Summer encouraged. "You're not panicking, you know I'm not real, and you know it'll go away."

"I suppose you're right." Ruby sighed. "Or I'm right...or my brain's right...God this is weird."

"Life is weird sweetie." Summer laughed. "Sometimes you just have to roll with it."

"I could do without the shadow figures and red sky." Ruby complained.

"So change it." Summer suggested. "It's your brain."

Ruby closed her eyes and thought hard about how she wanted the scene to be different. When she opened them the sky had returned to a beautiful blue, the shadows were gone and Summer still sat there smiling. "Hey, it worked." Ruby said. "But, you're still here." She shrugged. "I came to talk to you anyway, I guess I'll have someone who talks back for once."

"See?" Summer asked. "Silver linings. So, what's on your mind. Besides me of course."

The pair laughed together for a moment, then Ruby turned serious. "When you were dying, you wrote letters, to me, Yang, dad, everyone you cared about." Ruby started. "You never wanted to say goodbye, you never wanted to give up hope, you never wanted us to be sad. For years I wondered if you did the right thing, if I would have felt better being able to say goodbye, but when standing in your place, I couldn't bear to crush everyone's hopes like that. I didn't want to say goodbye or admit that I might not come back." Ruby paused to compose herself, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"But you had to be prepared." Summer said.

"Just in case, and I'm glad, so glad you did it for us." Ruby continued. "Writing those letters tore me apart, because it was more than just goodbye, it was the end of hope."

"What did you say in the letters?" Summer asked.

"Nora...Nora I asked to keep smiling." Ruby replied. "She's so bright and cheerful. I always loved seeing her at the gym, hanging off Ren, flirting with Yang...Yang would need her smile more than anyone. Ren I asked to pray for everyone's happiness. I don't know if there is a God, but if there is, I wanted my dying wish to Him to be for everyone's happiness."

"You're too selfless for your own good." Summer laughed.

"Penny I thanked, for everything she did for me." Ruby said. "For taking care of me, being my friend, saving me when I was at my lowest. I told her she was as much a part of my family as Pyrrha or Yang."

"She's so nice and cute." Summer observed. "Like a neurotic angel."

"Coco I apologized to." Ruby said. "I couldn't be the little sister she deserved, and my passing would hurt Yang more than anything in the world, and she would be the one left to pick up the pieces. She would have done it. She would have swallowed her tears and never given up on Yang. She truly loves her, and I'm glad to call her my sister."

"I'm glad Yang found someone who could keep up with her." Summer said.

"I told Qrow I was glad he found someone who would put up with him, and thanked him for everything he did for me and Yang after you died." Ruby said. "And I said I hoped for a lot of cousins for Yang to torment. I threw in a bit for Winter too, thanking her for tolerating Qrow, welcoming her to the family, and apologizing for not being there to get to know her better."

"Poor Winter." Summer shook her head. "She has no idea what she's getting into."

"Weiss and Blake...I feel strongly for them, and they do for Pyrrha and I." Ruby explained. "So I asked them to take care of Pyrrha, whatever it takes. To help her recover, to help her get back on her feet...maybe more. There's no one I would trust with Pyrrha more than them, but I'm really glad I don't have to."

"By all means have your fun, but don't risk your relationship by complicating it." Summer warned. "I know a thing or two about that."

"Yang...I told her I loved her." Ruby said. "I told her I was sorry I didn't make it, sorry I was causing her so much pain. I asked her not to blame herself, not to let this ruin her life, but to keep my memory alive by staying strong, fighting, never giving up. That I could never have asked for a better sister, or a better mother after you were gone."

"Tell Yang she's more than kept her promise to me." Summer said. "I guess that just leaves Pyrrha."

"Yep...Pyrrha." Ruby sighed. "That was the hardest one to write. I must have started a dozen times. In the end it was short, shorter than she deserves, but I said what I needed to. I told her I would always love her, as she always loved me. That she should find happiness and love with another someday, someone who can love her as much as I do. I just wanted her to be happy, not let my loss destroy her life. Nothing would have hurt me more."

"When I knew my time was coming, I was scared." Summer admitted. "But not of dying. I was afraid of what it would do to all of you. My fears came true with Tai, but I'm glad you and Yang have found happiness."

"Yeah…and I'm glad you're glad." Ruby said.

"Of course you are." Summer laughed. "I'm just a figment of your imagination anyway." Ruby joined the chuckling. "It's time to get back to real life now. You don't want to keep Pyrrha waiting for too long."

"I didn't want to say it…" Ruby started.

"You obviously did if I said it." Summer smirked.

"This is getting really weird." Ruby said. "But I think I can deal with this."

"Goodbye Ruby." Summer said. "I love you, always."

"I love you too." Ruby said. She closed her eyes and leaned forward as Summer leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. When she opened her eyes Summer was gone. Ruby turned her wheelchair around. She was still fairly weak and the relatively soft ground fought against her. Pyrrha saw her struggle and approached, wheeling her back towards the car. After helping Ruby in, folding the wheelchair and placing it in the back, Pyrrha took her place behind the wheel and started driving away.

"Feel better?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, that felt good." Ruby replied. "I should warn you though, I had another hallucination. I saw Summer and some shadow figures, and the sky turned red."

"Oh no." Pyrrha groaned. "It was all for nothing."

"No, no, it wasn't!" Ruby quickly cut in. "I knew I was hallucinating. I wasn't scared. When I tried I was even able to change it to make it better. I got to talk to my mom with her talking back for once!"

"But the surgery…" Pyrrha started.

"I know." Ruby cut her off. "It was supposed to stop the hallucinations. But it doesn't matter. I can be happy like this! I'm not afraid anymore. So my brain's a little wonky. I've never been what you'd call normal."

"I guess you're right." Pyrrha said with a sigh of relief. "If you'll be happy...well...that's what's really important."

* * *

Pyrrha and Ruby sat at the table, eating lunch. It had been almost a month since Ruby had left the hospital. "Oh, the house plant's talking again." Ruby sighed. "Shut up Gerald!"

"What's he saying?" Pyrrha asked.

"He says your butt looks like a big fluffy marshmallow." Ruby replied.

"Someone's not getting watered today." Pyrrha said with a huff. Just then her phone rang. After a quick glance she swiped across the screen and held it to her ear. "Hey Yang, what's up?" Pyrrha nodded. "That's great! I'll tell Ruby. Keep kicking ass!"

"What did Yang have to say?" Ruby asked, her eyes still locked on the house plant.

"Yang's next fight was just announced." Pyrrha explained. "She's getting a rematch for the title. Apparently her surge at the end really impressed the people in charge."

"Awesome!" Ruby cheered. She looked back to the plant and started laughing hysterically.

"What did Gerald say now?" Pyrrha sighed.

"I know Gerald, I love her marshmallow butt too!" Ruby giggled.

"That's it!" Pyrrha shouted. "I'm going on a diet!"

"No!" Ruby groaned. "I love you just the way you are."

* * *

Ruby sat in the front row. It was a valuable seat, the best view for Pyrrha's latest title defense. It was a bit wasted on Ruby, who was far more interested in Pyrrha than the fighting itself, but she was grateful to be able to attend an event in person. It had been too long and she had only been able to this time because it was being held in Vale. Ruby watched as Pyrrha's leg snapped around, her shin slamming into the side of her opponent's head. The challenger stiffened up and fell flat on her back, unconscious. The referee stepped between the combatants and waved to signal the end of the fight.

Ruby, Coco, Nora, Yang and the rest of the gym team lined up at the cage door, waiting for the opportunity to enter. Once the medics were in, attending to the loser, it was their turn and they piled into the ring to celebrate with Pyrrha. Ruby, by now walking with a cane - a fancy wooden one carved with roses that had been a gift from Weiss - stepped off to the side and waited as the official decision was announced. Another win for Pyrrha. She looked as unstoppable as ever with another first round knockout. After Pyrrha was given her belt she did a quick interview, then the team and Ruby were called over for pictures.

Pyrrha stood in the center, championship belt around her waist, the others arrayed on either side. Ruby looked at the camera and smiled, but as it clicked she felt the person beside her move. Then she heard gasps. When Ruby turned to look Pyrrha was down on one knee, a small box with a diamond ring in her hand held out towards Ruby. Ruby gasped, dropped her cane and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Ruby Rose, will you marry me?" Pyrrha asked. She looked more nervous than she had been before the fight, more nervous that Ruby had ever seen her.

"Of course!" Ruby exclaimed. Pyrrha slipped the ring on her finger, and they embraced and kissed.

"This is so beautiful." Weiss said.

"And cliche." Coco groaned.

"My little sis's getting married!" Yang cheered with tears in her eyes.

"Hey Yang, I don't have a ring on me or anything, but how about we get married too?" Coco suggested.

Yang spun around. "You're serious?" She asked. Coco nodded. "Fuck yea!" She leapt into Coco's arms.

"So Weiss…" Blake started.

"Blake Belladonna, don't you even _think_ of proposing to me in such an improvised manner!" Weiss cut her off. Blake sighed with dejection. "But yes in advance."

"Wow, this got way more romantic than I expected." Pyrrha laughed.

"I love you." Ruby said. "And I love everyone here!"

"And we love you." Pyrrha said. "Always."

* * *

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou for taking the time to read, I realise there may be some rough patches, and some pretty big flaws, this was the first full project Jws and I collaborated on from start to finish, and we've only gotten better as time went on. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this, read Randoki, our standalone Renora prequel, and if you do, or already have, you don't have long to wait, as our next installment in the Vale Top Team series will be starting next week. 
> 
> Any feedback is encouraged, we love hearing any comments people might have. 
> 
> Thankyou again for reading, and I hope you enjoy our other works.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Shattered Rose, originally posted on FanFiction.net, I've finally gotten around to posting it here.


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